Five teenage boys drown as heatwave continues to cause havoc in large parts of China

Five students in a Hunan village have drowned at a reservoir on Thursday, in a region hit hard by the unusual heatwave that has gripped China for nearly a month, Xinhua reported.

According to Xinhua, the students were in middle school and had attended classes on the day they drowned. Their schoolbags and clothes were seen on the shore in several photos on the news agency's website.

A villager who spotted the teenagers in the water said she had warned them that swimming was prohibited in the area due to safety concerns. She later called for help when she found them missing.

Local police said they were still investigating the tragedy.

Xiinhua county, where the drownings occurred, has been suffering from a nearly month-long heatwave and drought which has beset the areas surrounding the lower reach of Yangtze River.