Three schoolboys went missing in the Ganga when they went to the river for bathing in Malda district on Saturday.

The trio, along with some other students, had been to the river in Kaliachak 3 block after attending the school.

The block administration, along with personnel of civil defence and local fishermen, launched a search to trace the boys but none could be traced till evening.

Sources said for the past few days, authorities of Birnagar High School, which is near the Ganga and in the Kaliachak 3 block, had been conducting classes in the morning hours because of the rise in day temperature.

On Saturday, the classes ended early. Around 9.30am, eight students reached the riverbank and walked into the river to take a bath. Three of them moved out of the river after some time.

While the remaining were enjoying their bath in the swollen river, they went missing. Locals rushed and rescued two of them. The other three, however, went missing.

Those who are missing are Akash Mondal, Tushar Saha and Krishna Saha. All of them are 14-15 years old and study in ninth standard at the school.

The trio lives in Puratan 17th Mile area which is under Baishnabnagar police station.

Rajkumar Mondal, a local resident said they have engaged fishermen to trace the boys. “Divers have also been engaged,” he said.