Patna, October 2, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)
Four minor girls drowned while bathing in a pond in Bankat village, under the Paharpur police station area of Bihar’s East Champaran district, during Jitiya festival celebrations on Friday.
The incident triggered panic and grief in the village, where residents had gathered to celebrate the festival.
According to an official, several women and girls from the village had gone to a local pond to bathe as part of the Jitiya rituals. During the activity, the four girls reportedly moved towards a deeper section of the pond and drowned.
When the girls could not be seen for some time, villagers raised an alarm and gathered at the pond. Local residents entered the water and searched for them before retrieving all four girls.
They were rushed to the Community Health Centre in Paharpur, where doctors declared them dead on arrival.
The deceased have been identified as Sonamati, 13, and Phulmati, 10, both daughters of Pramod Mahto; Sonali Kumari, 10, daughter of Virendra Mahto; and Pratima Kumari, 12, daughter of Achhelal Paswan.
After receiving information about the incident, personnel from Paharpur police station reached the village and inspected the site. Police also spoke to the families and local residents to establish the circumstances surrounding the tragedy.
The bodies were taken into police custody and sent to Motihari for post-mortem examinations. Police said the necessary legal procedures were being completed.
The deaths cast a pall of gloom over Bankat village, where Jitiya celebrations had been underway since morning, leaving the families of the girls and other residents in mourning.
Following the incident, villagers demanded improved safety measures and better management of the pond to prevent similar tragedies. They called for warning signs to be installed near dangerous sections of the water body and for vulnerable areas to be barricaded.
Meanwhile, the East Champaran district administration has initiated the process of providing compensation to the families of the four deceased girls.
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