Several children perish during Hindu festival in India

At least 46 people, mostly children, drowned while bathing in rivers and ponds swollen by recent floods during a Hindu religious festival in north India. The incidents occurred during the observance of the Jivitputrika Vrat festival in the state of Bihar. Local media reported that the floods were caused by heavy rains, leading to dangerous water levels in the rivers and ponds. The festival involves women fasting for 24 hours and praying for the well-being of their children, then taking a ritualistic bath in nearby bodies of water. The state government has announced compensation of 400,000 rupees ($4,784) for the families of each of the deceased. Although India has seen deadly stampedes during religious events in the past, widespread drowning incidents during festivals are rare. The victims include 37 children and seven women, scattered across 15 districts in Bihar. This tragic event highlights the dangers of participating in religious rituals near natural bodies of water during periods of heavy rainfall and flooding.

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