Daijiworld Media Network - Bihar

Bihar, Oct 2: Four girls drowned in a pond in Bankat village under Paharpur police station limits in Bihar’s East Champaran district on Friday, police said.

The deceased were identified as Sonawati Kumari (13), her sister Phoolwati Kumari (10), Sonali Kumari (10) and Pratibha Kumari (12). All four were residents of Bankat village.

According to police, five girls had gone to a pond near the village to bathe at around 9.30 am. While one girl remained on the bank, the other four entered the water and reportedly ventured into a deeper area, where they drowned.

The incident came to light after the girls who were nearby informed villagers. Police and district administration officials reached the spot and launched an operation to recover the bodies.

The bodies were recovered and sent to Motihari Sadar Hospital for postmortem. Police are investigating the circumstances surrounding the incident.

East Champaran District Magistrate Saurabh Suman said that if the investigation formally confirms that the deaths were caused by drowning, the Disaster Management Department will provide compensation to the families of the deceased.