AT LEAST 46 people, including 37 children, have drowned while celebrating a Hindu festival in eastern India, according to a local government official.
The victims drowned in separate incidents across Bihar state while bathing in rivers and ponds that had risen due to recent flooding, a Bihar Disaster Management Department official told AFP.
“People ignored dangerous water levels in rivers as well as ponds while bathing to celebrate this festival,” the official said. The official requested anonymity as they were not authorised to speak to the media.
The drownings occurred between Tuesday and Wednesday across 15 districts as people observed the Jitiya Parv Hindu festival, which mothers celebrate for the wellbeing of their children. Authorities are still working to recover three more bodies.
Jitiya Parv is also observed in neighbouring states Uttar Pradesh and Jharkhand, and in parts of Nepal’s southern region.
The Bihar state government announced compensation for the families of the victims, the official added Read More…