Patna, May 13 (IANS): After Bihar's Buxar, several decomposed dead bodies were now found floating in the Ganga near Patna's Gulabi Ghat on Thursday, officials said.

District Magistrate Chandrasheker Singh has directed municipal authorities to retrieve the dead bodies and cremate them properly.

According to eyewitnesses, the majority of the dead bodies are partially burnt.

"After the emergence of dead bodies in Gulabi Ghat, we have asked police and civil administration to intensify vigil along the river in a bid to ensure no one dumps dead bodies in the waters. We have also asked municipal corporation officers to take out the bodies and cremate them properly," the District Magistrate said.

The counting of dead bodies is underway in Gulabi Ghat, a cremation ground located at Mahendru area of the state capital.

According to a shop owner at Gulabi Ghat, a number of people, generally poor people unable to bear expenses of cremation materials, are allegedly dumping dead bodies in the river without cremation in absence of police personnel.

The District Magistrate said: "We have been appealing to people of Bihar to not to dump dead bodies in rivers without cremation. We are also making efforts to find out whether dead bodies are came from other places."

Meanwhile in Buxar, five dead bodies were found in a net placed by district administration in the Ganga at Rani Ghat. The dead bodies came from adjoining Uttar Pradesh, say officials.

On Tuesday, 71 dead bodies floating from upstream Uttar Pradesh were found on the banks of the Ganga at Chausa in Buxar. Besides, two dozen dead bodies also found in neighbouring Ghazipur district of Uttar Pradesh as well.