Three girls from a Bulgarian family drowned in the stormy waters of the Rhine near the German city of Duisburg, local media reported.
The incident happened on the evening of June 16 in an area near the suburbs of Marxlo, where the families of the victims lived.
The three girls, aged 13, 14 and 17, entered the river at a place where, according to German media, there is a sandy beach. However, a passing ship made bigger waves and the girls sank. The largest of them was rescued by rescue teams, but died despite resuscitation.
More than 160 rescuers, police, firefighters and divers took part in the search for the other two children, and the river was searched with both boats and helicopters. However, the bodies of the two girls were not found.
On Friday, a spokesman for the police in Duisburg announced that there is no chance that the Bulgarian teenagers will survive, because the current of the Rhine is very powerful and fast. According to local authorities, the speed of the water sometimes reaches 12 km / h, and the waves of passing ships make swimming in the river dangerous even for experienced swimmers.
This morning, police in Duisburg announced that two bodies had been found in the Dutch section of the Rhine, belonging to 13-year-old Gergina and 14-year-old Juliet. According to Bild, 17-year-old Ellie is their cousin.
“We have no doubt about the identities of the dead girls found. Their relatives described the clothes and jewelry they wore, and the descriptions match the drowners’ belongings. Of course, a DNA test has been ordered and the results will be ready by the end of the week,” he explained. Duisburg police spokesman Stefan Hausch.
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