Lagatar24 Desk
Patna: A tragic incident unfolded during the ‘Jivitputrika’ festival in Bihar, where at least 43 people, including 37 children, drowned while taking a holy dip in rivers and ponds across 15 districts of the state, according to a statement from the Bihar government on Thursday.
The festival, observed on Wednesday, involves women fasting for the well-being of their children. Unfortunately, multiple drowning incidents were reported in various locations, prompting a large-scale rescue and recovery operation.
Disaster Management Department (DMD) officials have confirmed that 43 bodies have been recovered so far, and search operations are ongoing for three missing individuals. The affected districts include East and West Champaran, Nalanda, Aurangabad, Kaimur, Buxar, Siwan, Rohtas, Saran, Patna, Vaishali, Muzaffarpur, Samastipur, Gopalganj, and Arwal.
Ex-gratia Announced
Chief Minister Nitish Kumar expressed his condolences and announced an ex-gratia of ₹4 lakh for the next of kin of each deceased person. The government has already begun the process of disbursing the compensation, with eight families having received it as of Thursday.
This tragic incident has cast a shadow over the ‘Jivitputrika’ festival, with rescue teams continuing to search for the remaining missing individuals.
