Bhagalpur: Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary on Saturday announced an ex-gratia of Rs 4 lakh each to the bereaved families of three children who drowned in the Ganga river in Jhallu Das Tola under Rangra block in Naugachia subdivision of Bhagalpur district.
Incident Details
Three children, including two teenagers, drowned while taking a bath at a Ganga ghat during the 'mundan' (tonsuring) rituals. The deceased were identified as Gaurav Kumar (10), Sakshi Kumari (16) and Moni Kumari (17). Gaurav and Sakshi were siblings and children of Kumod Yadav.
A group of 35 members, including females and children, all close relatives, from Bhatgama in Madhepura district came to Ganga ghat in Jhallu Das Tola for the Mundan ceremony of 10-year-old Gaurav. After the rituals, the children entered the Ganga ghat for a holy dip when they slipped and were swept away in the flowing water.
Rescue Operation
Local people and divers immediately launched rescue efforts after the family members raised an alarm on Friday afternoon. A police team from Rangra police station also arrived, and a rescue operation along with the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) team was launched, but initially in vain. Later, the SDRF and Rangra police recovered the bodies of the deceased in the late evening hours on Friday and, after preliminary investigations, sent the bodies for postmortem.
SHO of Rangra police station, Bishwabandhu, when contacted by TNN on Saturday, said that the rescue team saved two others alive out of five who drowned. Three drowned as they were swept away in deep water. The bodies were recovered after much effort and handed over to the family after postmortem at Naugachia hospital.
