Bihar: Four drown, 1 rescued while bathing in pond during Jitiya rituals in East Champaran
A tragic incident in East Champaran, Bihar, leaves four girls dead after they drowned while bathing in a pond during Jitiya festival rituals.
A festive atmosphere turned into a scene of absolute devastation in East Champaran, Bihar, as four young girls lost their lives while performing rituals for the Jitiya festival. The tragic incident occurred in the Bankat Nuniya Toli area under the Paharpur police station limits, where a group of children went to a local pond to bathe alongside their families.
Tragedy Strikes During Jitiya Rituals
The celebrations for the Jitiya festival took a dark turn when five girls reportedly ventured into the deep waters of the pond. As the water levels were significantly high in the area, the children struggled to stay afloat. The sudden crisis was signaled by a child running back to the shore, screaming for help, which alerted the surrounding villagers to the life-threatening situation.
Local residents rushed to the water in a desperate attempt to save the children. While their swift actions allowed them to rescue one girl, the efforts were not enough to save the others. Four young lives were lost to the deep waters, leaving the entire village in a state of profound shock and mourning.
Identified Victims and Family Grief
The deceased have been identified as:
- Sonomati Kumari (12) and her sister Phulmati Kumari (10), daughters of Pramod Mahto.
- Sonali Kumari (11), daughter of Virendra Mahto.
- Pratima Kumari (10), daughter of Achhelal Paswan.
The loss is particularly heartbreaking for Pramod Mahto, who lost both of his daughters in the accident. He described the harrowing moment when the realization hit that the children had gone under the water, noting that the high water levels in the Bachhwara area played a critical role in the accident.
Police Action and Official Response
Following the incident, the Paharpur police arrived at the scene to manage the situation. According to Kaushal Kishore Dubey, the manager of Sadar Hospital in Motihari, the bodies of the four girls were recovered from the pond and sent to the hospital for post-mortem examinations. Once the legal formalities were completed, the bodies were handed over to the grieving families for final rites.
Local political leaders have also stepped in to address the tragedy. Raju Tiwari, a local MLA and national vice-president of the LJP (Ram Vilas), visited Sadar Hospital to offer condolences to the bereaved families. He described the event as deeply unfortunate and has formally demanded that the district administration provide immediate financial assistance to the victims' families through the Disaster Relief Fund.