Eight primary school students died after drowning in a river in southwest China's Chongqing Municipality, authorities said Monday, adding that rescuers retrieved all the bodies.

According to the district publicity department, the students fell into a river in the village of Tongjia in Tongnan District at around 3:30 p.m. Sunday.

Initial investigations revealed that the victims were students of a local primary school. They were playing by the river when one of them fell into the water. The rest of the students drowned in an attempt to save the first victim.

Further investigation is underway.