New Delhi: As many as 46 people, including 37 children, lost their lives in multiple drowning incidents across Bihar during the ‘Jitiya’ or ‘Jivitputrika’ festival, within the past 24 hours, a government official said. Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar expressed his condolences to the families of the deceased, which included seven women. He also announced a compensation of Rs 4 lakh for the next of kin of each victim.
The drowning incidents occurred in various districts, including East and West Champaran, Aurangabad, Kaimur, Buxar, Siwan, Rohtas, Saran, Patna, Vaishali, Muzaffarpur, Samastipur, Gopalganj and Arwal. “So far, 43 bodies have been recovered. The families of the victims will receive Rs 4 lakh in compensation, and the amount has already been disbursed to eight families,” said an official from the Disaster Management Department (DMD).
Rescue efforts intensify
To help in the ongoing search and rescue efforts, teams from the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) have been deployed by the DMD. The ‘Jitiya’ festival, observed by mothers for the health and prosperity of their children, saw these drowning incidents occur when children, accompanied by their mothers, went to bathe in local water bodies.
Tragic end
In Aurangabad district, eight children drowned—four in Itahat village under the Baruna police station jurisdiction and another four in Kushaha village of the Madanpur police station area. In Kaimur, seven children lost their lives while bathing in the Durgawati River and a local pond in the Bhabhua and Mohania police station areas.
Apart from that, incidents were reported on Wednesday evening from Amnabad village under the Bihta police station in Patna, where four people drowned. Five others, including two boys, drowned in separate incidents in Daudpur, Manjhi, Taraiya and Marhaura areas of Saran district. Aurangabad District Magistrate Srikant Shastri said, “These unfortunate incidents occurred when the victims and their families were performing holy rituals in the water bodies.”
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