Eight Children Dead in Three Separate Incidents of Drowning

Kishanganj/Begusarai/Khagaria: Eight children died in three separate incidents of drowning in Bihar's Kishanganj, Begusarai and Khagaria districts on Saturday.

Four children aged between 7 years and 9 years drowned in a pond at Rahmatpara village in Kishanganj district when they entered it to pluck lotus flower, sub-divisional officer Shafique said. The bodies have been fished out of the pond, he said adding that Rs 4 lakh would be given to each of their families as ex-gratia.

In another such incident, two children drowned in the Ganga when they had gone to fetch its water and mud for the coming Durga puja festival and slipped into the deep end and drowned near Mughalsarai village in Begusarai district. Sahebpur Kamal police station SHO Rajesh Kumar said that the two were aged 10 years and 11 years and have been identified as residents of neighbouring Pachbir village. The bodies were fished out of the river with the help of local divers, he added.

In a similar incident two teenaged sisters drowned in river Baghmati near Rampur Ghat in Khagaria district. Alauli police station SHO Gajendra Kumar said the two bodies were fished out of the river and identified.

PTI