At least 46 people, including 37 children, tragically drowned while taking part in the “Jitiya” festival in the Indian state of Bihar over the past 24 hours. The festival, observed by Hindu mothers for the well-being of their children, turned fatal when participants, including children, took a holy dip in various water bodies across multiple districts.
According to Indian media, the incidents occurred in Champaran, Aurangabad, Kaimur, Buxar, Siwan, Rohtas, Saran, Patna, Vaishali, Muzaffarpur, Samastipur, Gopalganj, and Arwal districts. A Disaster Management Department (DMD) official confirmed that 43 bodies had been recovered, and efforts are underway to locate the remaining victims.
The government of Bihar, led by Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, has announced an ex gratia payment of ₹4 lakh to the families of each victim as compensation for their loss. Authorities have deployed search and rescue teams from the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) to continue recovery efforts.
In one particularly tragic incident, eight children drowned in Aurangabad district, with four victims from Itahat village and four more from Kushaha village under the jurisdiction of Madanpur police station. Rescue operations are ongoing at various locations across the state.
