GORAKHPUR, May 10 -- Three minor cousins lost their lives after drowning in a water-filled pit at a brick kiln in Dina Patti Tola of Manpur village under the Kasya police station limits of Kushinagar district on Saturday morning. The victims were children of labourers from Chhattisgarh who had been working at the brick kiln along with their families, according to local reports. Police officials said the children were playing near a deep pit dug for soil extraction used in brick-making when they accidentally slipped into the rainwater-filled crater. Another girl child, who also fell into the pit, managed to come out safely and alerted family members working nearby. Station house officer (SHO) Ashutosh Singh identified the deceased as Abhay, 3, son of Panchu from Bilaspur district; Ananya, 7, daughter of Lakhan from Janjgir-Champa district; and Anushka, 3, daughter of Sukhan from Bilaspur district. All three were natives of Chhattisgarh and close relatives. Family members rushed the children to the Community Health Centre in Kasya, where doctors declared them dead. The incident triggered chaos and grief among workers at the brick kiln. SHO Ashutosh Singh said, "Prima facie, the children drowned while playing near the water-filled pit at the brick kiln site. The bodies have been sent for post-mortem examination, and further legal proceedings are underway on various points, including permission for soil extraction and possible negligence in filling the pit after digging." District magistrate Mahendra Singh Tanwar said revenue officials had been directed to submit a report for providing ex-gratia compensation and other administrative assistance to the affected families. Additional district magistrate Vaibhav Mishra said trenches should be clearly marked and surrounded with bricks in fields to prevent such incidents. Police have also launched an investigation into the circumstances surrounding the tragedy. HTC...