Patna: At least 23 people, mostly children and teenagers, drowned across the state during evening and morning ‘arghya’ (oblation to Sun god), performed as part of Chhath rituals, on Monday and Tuesday. Maximum four drowning each were reported from Naugachia (Bhagalpur district) and Nalanda, followed by three in Patna, two each from Purnia, Banka, Vaishali and Madhubani, and one each from Lakhisarai, Samastipur, Madhepura and Khagaria. Besides, at least seven went missing in Khagaria after they went deep in water, the authorities said.
Twin brothers and their two friends drowned at Navtoliya Ghat under Ismailpur police station in Naugachia on Monday while preparing the ghat for ‘araghya’. “Eight-year-old Gorelal and his twin Korelal ventured deep in water while taking bath with their friends. Prince Kumar and Nandan Kumar, both 10, went for their help but were also swept away,” said station house officer Dhiraj Kumar. The divers fished out their bodies, which were sent for postmortem.
In Nalanda, three people drowned in Lokain river at Sipara village under Hilsa police station on Tuesday, while a young man drowned in Jirayan river in Sare area while bathing. The Hilsa deceased were Shivam Kumar (16), a resident of Bauri police station area of Jehanabad district, Varsha Kumari (19) of Sipara village and Sunita Kumari (20). The Sare deceased, Vicky Kumar (28), a resident of Bhikhani Bigha village, lived in Delhi. He had come to the village for Chhath.
At Tatma Toli in Purnia, cousins Satyam Kumar Sah (18) and Shivam Kumar Sah (15) drowned. Residents of Panchavati Colony, the duo had accompanied Shivam’s mother on the third day of Chhath. Satyam slipped in deep water, while Shivam jumped to save him but both drowned. Divers recovered them after a two-hour search. But they were declared dead at GMCH, Purnia.
Tragedy struck two villages in Banka district on Monday as young boys drowned while preparing for Chhath. In Mohanpur village, 11-year-old Priyanshu Kumar lost his footing and fell in deep water while decorating the ghat at Pothiya Chhath Dam. In nearby Malteghra village, Akhilesh Kumar (12) drowned.
Two more teenagers, Pranav Kumar (14) and Anush Singh (16), drowned in a pond at Pandaul Bazaar in Madhubani on Monday. The incident took place when Anush went into water to put sugarcane. He slipped and started drowning. Pranav jumped into water to save him, but both drowned.
In Vaishali district, Subodh Rai (28) from Veerpur (Ward 6) in Raghopur block drowned in Ganga river under Salimpur police station on Monday. Rai, who worked in Delhi, had come to his native place for Chhath. Meanwhile, 16-year-old Avinash Kumar from Mirzapur in Mahua block drowned in Gandak river while building a Chhath ghat on Monday. His body was later recovered by an SDRF team.
In Madhepura, Sonu Kumar (6) from Jorgama drowned in a pond while helping build a Chhath ghat in Murliganj police station area on Monday, while 17-year-old Phoolan Kumar met with the same fate in Khargawara village under Ramgarh Chowk police station in Lakhisarai district on Tuesday.
In Bihta police station area of Patna, 14-year-old Ankit Kumar drowned in a pond in Alhanpura village on Monday.
Two youths drowned in Ganga river in Malahi village in Barh, adjacent to Patna, on Monday. Sintu Kumar, who works in Chattisgarh, slipped in deep water while bathing. Sanjay Kumar and another youth jumped to save him but were swept away. Locals rescued one of them, but Sintu and Sanjay, both Akbarpur residents, died.
In Khagaria, one Gurdev Kumar (16) drowned in Garaiya pond at Jhanjhra village under Pasraha police station on Tuesday, when he went to take bath.
Meanwhile, three minors — Pintu Kumar (16), his cousin Dilkhush Kumar (15) and Golu Kumar (12) — went missing after they were swept in a strong current at Kathautiya Ghat under Morkahi police station in Khagaria on Tuesday. P N Sahu, Khagaria Sadar subdivisional police officer-II, said the SDRF team, along with locals divers, are searching for the missing.
Four more children were reported missing while taking bath in Bagmati river at Uttari Marar village under Khagaria block. Sadar SDM Dhananjay Kumar said an SDRF team has been pressed into service.
(With inputs from N P Thakur in Khagaria)
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