Six children drown in pond in Bihar's Bhagalpur

Bhagalpur (Bihar), Sep 21 (PTI) Six children drowned while bathing in a pond in Bihar’s Bhagalpur district on Monday, police said.

The incident occurred around 10.30 am in the Taraita Bahiyar area under the Sultanganj Police Station limits when the children had gone for a ritual bath on the occasion of the Karma-Dharma festival, a senior officer said.

There were three girls among the deceased, he said.

The deceased were identified as Pooja Kumari (13), Rahul Kumar (14), Vikas Kumar (13), Ayush Kumar (12), Meenakshi Kumari alias Minki (12) and Jyoti Kumari (14), the police officer said.

"Locals claimed that one of the children waded into deep water and the others tried to rescue him. But all six drowned. The children were taken out of the pond and sent to the Sultanganj Referral Hospital, where doctors declared them dead," he said.

Sultanganj Circle Officer Raman Kumar and Station House Officer Dhananjay Kumar reached the spot and began an investigation.

Raman Kumar told reporters that the bereaved families would be provided all possible assistance and compensation would be given as per rules.