Six children drowned in Bihar’s Bhagalpur district on Monday morning while bathing in a waterlogged agricultural field ahead of the Karma-Dharma festival, officials said. The children had gone there for a ritual bath and to take part in preparations for the festival when they got caught in deep water. The tragedy took place around 10 am in the Narayanpur Bahiyar area under the Ajgaivinath Dham block of Sultanganj police station limits.
The others tried to rescue the child but could not judge the depth of the water or the marshy ground underneath, resulting in all six being swept into danger. After news of the incident spread, family members and villagers rushed to the spot. Local youths entered the water and pulled the children out before taking them to a Community Health Centre. However, doctors declared all six children dead on arrival. The incident has left the families and the local community devastated. Police and administrative officials reached the site after being alerted. The bodies have been sent for post-mortem examinations, while further legal formalities are being completed.
Five of the children were from Bishnu Tola in Ward 27 of the Nagar Parishad area, while Jyoti was a resident of Ranchdidipur village.
The agricultural fields had filled with deep water following recent rainfall and a rise in the Ganga’s water level, according to local residents. Eyewitnesses said one of the children slipped into a deeper section of the water.
