Four students drowned while attempting to rescue a girl who fell into a river and also drowned in northeast China's Heilongjiang Province, according to provincial education authorities.

The girl from Baowei Primary and Middle School in Baoquan Town, Kedong County, fell into a river at around 11:30 a.m. on Tuesday while washing her hands, the provincial education department said on Wednesday.

The girl was among 21 students, mostly from the school, who went on an outing on Tuesday after their summer vacation began on Monday.

The five dead, all in their early teens, included three boys and two girls. The bodies of three had been cremated, while parents and relatives of the other two were on their way to the county.

The provincial education department said it had urged to strengthen the work on outdoor activities organized by primary and middle school students to avoid similar incidents.

(Xinhua News Agency July 17, 2008)