Moradabad (Uttar Pradesh), Aug 24 (IANS): Two minor boys drowned while fishing in the swollen Gagan river in Moradabad.

Their bodies were taken out on Sunday. According to the police, three siblings -- Shivam, 18, Gaurav, 17, and Aman, 12 -- along with a friend, Vansh, had gone for fishing in the river near Kaanha Gaushala in Transport Nagar on Saturday afternoon.

Shivam lost his balance and fell into the river. As Gaurav tried to save him, he too lost his balance and fell into the river.

Seeing the duo being swept away in the river, Aman and Vansh ran towards the village to inform their families, who alerted the police.

A police team rushed to the spot and launched a rescue operation with the help of divers. The boy could not be saved.

The victims were the son of a labourer, Ravindra. They were students of a private school in Moradabad.

Majhola police station SHO Rakesh Kumar Singh said professional divers were called in to rescue the children. "The rescue operation lasted till late Saturday night, but the divers could not find the brothers. We resumed the operation on Sunday and finally recovered the bodies which have been sent for post mortem," he said.