BEIJING — Eight children drowned in a river in southwestern China after one fell in and the others jumped in to help, state media said Monday.

The children, described as elementary-school age, had gone to play at a beach Sunday on the Fu River, according to state broadcaster CCTV. Their bodies were recovered by Monday morning.

They came from Mixin, a town near Sichuan province on the outskirts of the sprawling metropolis of Chongqing. No further details were immediately available.

Heavy rain had been forecast for the area, but it wasn’t clear if the weather was a factor.