A 5-year-old boy of Naiqaqi Village in Savusavu drowned yesterday afternoon.

Assistant police spokesperson Inspector Atunaisa Sokomuri said the 5-year-old boy's mother was busy doing her housework and left the victim and his brother alone.

After a while, she discovered the 5-year-old missing and upon questioning his whereabouts, the three-year-old brother pointed towards a river beside the house.

His body was found floating in the river by the mother.

The drowning toll for this year now stands at 28 compared to 34 during the same period last year.

Inspector Sokomuri has raised concern on the number of drowning cases reported.

Over the weekend two men died while swimming in the Sigatoka River.