At least 43 people, including 37 children, died in separate incidents by drowning while taking holy dips in rivers and ponds across Bihar during the ‘Jivitputrika’ or ‘Jitiya’ festival, a government hospital said on Thursday. Three others are missing.
”A total of 43 bodies have been recovered so far. Further search operation is on,” a statement issued by the Disaster Management Department (DMD) said.
Bihar drowning incidents
The incidents of drowning were reported from East and West Champaran, Nalanda, Aurangabad, Kaimur, Buxar, Siwan, Rohtas, Saran, Patna, Vaishali, Muzaffarpur, Samastipur, Gopalganj and Arwal districts.
DMD has deployed several teams of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) for search and rescue operations.
Children among those drowned
According to reports, eight children drowned in Aurangabad district, four at Itahat village under Baruna police station area.
As many as four children drowned at Kushaha village of Madanpur police station.
In Kaimur, seven minors drowned in Bhabhua and Mohania police station areas when they were taking holy dip in the Durgawati river and a pond, respectively.
On Wednesday evening, four incidents of drowning were reported from Amnabad village under Bihta police station area of rural Patna and five people, including two boys, drowned in Daudpur, Manjhi, Taraiya and Marhaura police station areas of Saran district.
Why children & women are among those dead?
The ‘Jitiya’ festival is observed by mothers for the well-being and propsperity of their children.
As per Aurangabad District Magistrate Srikant Shastri, the incidents took place when children accompanied their mothers to take a holy dip in the water bodies.
Bihar CM announces ex-gratia
Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar announced an exgratia of Rs 4 lakh for the next of kin of the deceased.
In a statement, the state government informed that the process of providing the exgratia has begun and family members of eight deceased have already received it.
With inputs from agencies.
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