Two girls were found dead floating in a pond behind their homes on Wednesday in Banteay Meanchey province.

The bodies of cousins Khuon Chanry, 3, and Kong Sbay, 5, were discovered by Chanry’s parents, who had been searching for her for more than five hours in O’Chuob Thmey village, where they live, said Mongkol Borei district police chief Si Dy. The girls’ families are neighbours.

Chanry’s father, San Ponlork, 32, said that when he returned from planting cassava, he saw his wife, Noy Sreyoun, cooking, but he didn’t see his daughter, he told police. The couple began to look for her, and found her and their niece’s bodies at 6:30pm.

Parents for both of the girls were yesterday preparing the funeral.

“They are very careless in not looking after their children,” Dy said. “They have to take care of their children properly; they should not leave their children unattended while farming.”