Bettiah, Jun 9 (IANS): Four children died while bathing in a pit filled with water in Bihar's West Champaran district in the Matiaria police station area. The children had gone to bathe in the water accumulated in the pit.

A brick kiln located in Hardi Dalhwa village had dug a pit for brick manufacturing which was filled with water, a police official said on Wednesday.

On Tuesday evening the four children went for a bath in the water of the pit and drowned while playing in it.

It is alleged that the employees of the brick kiln kept the deaths hidden till late Tuesday night.

According to police officials, the pit was 8 to 10 feet deep in which rainwater had collected.

Sanjay Kumar, Matiaria Station in-charge, told IANS that with the help of locals, all the bodies were pulled out of the pit.

The victims have been identified as Kartik Kumar, Govind Kumar, Prince Kumar and Aditya Kumar, he said. They were aged between 8 to 12 years.

Following the incident, the villagers are angry with the brick kiln owner.