New Delhi, March 6 (IANS) Gopalpur village in north Delhi Saturday mourned the death of four boys who drowned late Friday after falling into a pit dug by Delhi's water board. While inconsolable relatives and neighbours prepared for the last rites, authorities said elsewhere the matter would be probed for negligence.

The four children drowned after falling into a seven-foot-deep pit full of water that had been dug by the Delhi Jal Board (DJB) to lay a water pipeline in Timarpur area of north Delhi. The police said the incident occurred around 9 p.m. Friday.

The four children were identified as Vikas, 8, Atul, 7, and his brother Ritesh, 9, and Narender, 8. The four residents of Gopalpur village fell into the pit on their way home in the dark. According to police, villagers said the pit located on DJB's flood control department land had no embankment or cover and had been dug nearly a month ago.

After the incident, angry protests broke out as villagers claimed negligence on the part of the DJB and a nursing home, which had turned away the victims' families when they sought first aid, police said.

'The matter is being probed,' a police official said.

On Saturday, the DJB also said it had launched an inquiry into the matter.

'We have set up an inquiry into the incident. The team headed by DJB chief engineer will be probing what happened and whether there was any negligence. The report will be submitted within two working days,' DJB spokesperson Sanjam Cheema told IANS.

On March 1, a 13-year-old boy had drowned in a ditch in south Delhi. The police have sent notices to both the DJB and the Delhi Development Authority to find out which agency dug the pit.