Bihar: Eight, including three children, drown during holy dip on Chhath Puja

Eight people, including three children, died from drowning after they slipped into deep waters while taking a dip in the Sone River and its canal at three villages in Rohtas and Bhojpur districts on Thursday during the Chhath festival.

Two girls and a boy, all minors, drowned in Sone in Andhari village under Chauri police station limits of Bhojpur district.

Two youths who died were identified as Ayush Kumar (18) and Abhishek Kumar (22) of Pipara village under Dinara police station limits of Rohtas district. They drowned while bathing in the Sone canal near Basadiha village.

Three persons drowned in the Sone River and one was rescued by locals in Tilouthu Purvi village of Rohtas district in the evening.

Four persons, two aged around 35 years and others 17-18 years, were saved from drowning by locals when they went to take bath at a distance from the Chhath Ghat. Locals rushed them to the hospital, but one body was later fished out, Dehri sub-divisional magistrate Surya Pratap Singh said.

Rohtas SP Raushan Kumar confirmed two deaths in Dinara and said the SDRF was trying to trace two of the three youths who drowned in Tilauthu.