up coins from the Hooghly river bed were washed away in Uluberia area of Howrah district today, the police said.
The incident occurred when a steamer went past the ghat of Haat Kaliganj, bringing a sudden surge of water to the spot where the boys were picking up the coins.
Devotees threw coins in the river as part of a religious ritual and many boys picked them up using a magnet attached to a string.
However, these two boys were not found when water subsided.
Following a search, the body of 9-year-old Rik Samanta was found first and then that of Sheikh Azad (5) was found at a distance.
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