Six children drowned in Bihar’s East Champaran, bodies recovered
Patna: Just before Holi, a tragic incident occurred in Bihar, where six children drowned in a river in East Champaran district on Tuesday, police said.
The incident occurred in the Rakhawa Panchayat of the Kesaria police station area, when the children were bathing in the Raghava River after a lunar eclipse.
According to locals, the children had gone to the river on Tuesday evening.
Reports indicate that one small child went into deep water and began drowning.
In an attempt to save the child, the other children entered the river one by one and were swept away.
People on the riverbank raised an alarm, but before help arrived, all six children had drowned.
Upon receiving information, the local administration and police arrived at the scene.
The bodies were recovered after extensive efforts with the help of villagers and divers.
As the bodies were retrieved, heartbreaking scenes unfolded, leaving the grieving families devastated and the entire village plunged into mourning.
The deceased have been identified as Diksha Kumari (12), Sonakshi (9), and Priya Kumari (6), daughters of Dharmendra Sahni; Prince Kumar (11) and Chhoti Kumari (8), children of Manoj Sahni; and Sonali Kumari (12), daughter of Kameshwar Sahni.
Kesaria police confirmed that all the bodies have been recovered and further legal procedures are underway.
Officials said the bodies are being sent for post-mortem examination and a detailed investigation is underway.
East Champaran District Magistrate Saurabh Jorwal expressed deep grief over the accident and called it extremely unfortunate.
He announced a grant of ₹4 lakh each from the Disaster Relief Fund to the families of the deceased.
Chakia Deputy Superintendent of Police Santosh Kumar and Station House Officer Rahul Kumar also confirmed that the children drowned while bathing in the river.
The administration has appealed to the public not to allow children to bathe alone in rivers or ponds, especially during festivals, to prevent such tragic incidents in the future. The entire Rakhawa Panchayat and surrounding areas are in deep mourning following the tragic deaths of these young people.
