Patna, August 17, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)
Two girls drowned and two others remained missing after seven girls from the same family were swept away by a strong current while bathing in the Ganga River at Ranisarai Ganga Ghat in Patna’s Bakhtiyarpur block on Monday morning. Three girls were rescued by locals.
The incident took place around 7:30 a.m. when the cousins had gone to the riverbank to bathe. According to local residents, one of the girls ventured into deeper water and began struggling. When the others tried to rescue her, they too were caught in the strong current.
Locals immediately launched a rescue effort and managed to pull three girls to safety. Four others were swept into deeper waters.
The missing girls were identified as Aarti Kumari, 21, and Nandani Kumari, 16, daughters of Awadhesh Chandravanshi; Radhika Kumari, 15, daughter of Kamlesh Chandravanshi; and Babli Kumari, 6, daughter of Mantu Chandravanshi.
Police and administrative officials reached the spot after receiving information about the incident, following which a team of the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) was deployed for the search operation.
During the operation, two bodies were recovered, while efforts were continuing to trace the remaining two girls. SDRF personnel were searching different stretches of the river, with the strong current and depth making the operation difficult.
Family members and villagers gathered at the ghat and demanded immediate deployment of the SDRF. Amid allegations of a delay in initiating the search, villagers briefly blocked the road for around 20 minutes, disrupting traffic. The blockade was subsequently lifted after the rescue operation began.
A large number of relatives remained at the riverbank awaiting updates as the search continued.
The recovered bodies were sent to Barh Subdivisional Hospital for post-mortem examination.
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