Daijiworld Media Network - Patna

Patna, Oct 27: Tragedy struck Bihar’s Bhagalpur district on Monday as four children drowned while bathing in a water pit filled due to recent Ganga River floods. The incident occurred around 11 AM in Navtoliya village under the Ismailpur police station area of Naugachhia sub-division.

According to police, six children from Chattu Tola went to bathe in the pit. While two managed to escape, four children drowned sequentially. The deceased have been identified as Prince Kumar (10), son of Mithilesh Kumar, and Nandan Kumar (10), son of Kishori Mandal. Two others are yet to be identified.

Villagers and local divers recovered the children and rushed them to the Ismailpur Primary Health Centre, where doctors declared them dead. The tragedy has left the village in mourning, coinciding with ongoing Chhath festivities.

Ismailpur SHO and his team reached the site, controlled the situation, and sent the bodies for post-mortem at Naugachhia sub-divisional hospital. Police have launched an investigation.

“The pits filled with floodwater were slippery and muddy. The children entered without realizing the depth and could not come out,” said the SHO. Authorities are collecting statements from survivors and awaiting post-mortem reports.

In a related incident on Sunday, two teenage girls drowned near Ayaar village under Agiaon Bazaar police station in Bhojpur district. The victims, 14-year-old Samrajiya Khatoon and 15-year-old Ashmin Khatoon, had gone to the river to wash clothes. Despite villagers’ efforts, the girls could not be saved.

These incidents highlight the dangers posed by flood-affected water bodies in Bihar, prompting authorities to issue warnings for children and villagers to exercise caution near deep water.