SEVEN GIRLS DROWNED IN THE RIVER, THREE RESCUED, TWO BODIES FISHED OUT

SEVEN GIRLS DROWNED IN THE RIVER, THREE RESCUED, TWO BODIES FISHED OUT

19-AUG-ENG 1

RAJIV NAYAN AGRAWAL

PATNA------------------------An accident occurred on Monday morning while a group was bathing in the Ganges at Bakhtiyarpur. Seven girls from the same family, who had arrived at the Ranisarai Ganga Ghat to bathe, began to drown in the river's strong current while trying to save one another. Locals managed to pull three girls out safely, while four were swept away into deeper water. Upon receiving news of the accident, a crowd of villagers and family members gathered at the ghat.

An SDRF team arrived at the scene and recovered two bodies during the search operation in the river, while the search for the other two continues.

The missing girls include Aarti (21) and Nandani (16), daughters of Avadhesh Chandravanshi; Radhika (15), daughter of Kamlesh Chandravanshi; and Babli (6), daughter of Mantu Chandravanshi. The family is devastated and inconsolable following the tragedy; the atmosphere at the riverbank is heavy with grief and the wails of relatives.

The incident reportedly occurred around 7:30 AM on Monday. According to reports, the girls—who were cousins—had gone to the Ranisarai Ganga Ghat to bathe, just as they did every day.

While bathing, one girl suddenly began to drown after drifting into deep water. Seeing her struggle, the other girls rushed to save her. In the process, they all became trapped in the water one after another, and seven girls began to drown.

Upon learning that the girls were drowning, locals present at the ghat immediately attempted a rescue. Disregarding their own safety, several people jumped into the river and managed to pull three girls out.

However, due to the river's strong current and deep water, four girls could not be located. Among the missing is reportedly Babli, the six-year-old daughter of Mantu Chandravanshi. Locals informed the police and administration about the incident.

As news of the tragedy spread, a large number of villagers and the girls' relatives gathered at the Ranisarai Ghat. The relatives demanded the immediate deployment of an SDRF team to search for the girls.

Frustrated by the delay in the SDRF's arrival, villagers blocked the road, disrupting traffic for about 20 minutes. They demanded an immediate search operation in the river to locate the missing girls.

The police arrived at the scene promptly after being informed. Thanks to the administration's swift action, an SDRF team was summoned to the site and has since commenced a search operation in the river.

SDRF personnel are searching for the missing girls across various sections of the river. The rescue team is facing difficulties due to the strong current and the depth of the water. Reports indicate that two bodies have been recovered so far during the search operation.

Following the tragedy, the families of the four missing girls are in a state of deep distress. Relatives are anxiously waiting at the riverbank for news of the girls. Many family members are standing by the riverside, watching the SDRF's search operation.

This tragedy, involving children from the same family, has shaken the entire area. According to villagers, the girls were cousins ​​who had gone to the riverbank together to take a holy dip in the Ganges.

Currently, an SDRF team is conducting a search operation in the river. The grief of the families has intensified following the recovery of two bodies, while the search for the remaining two missing girls continues. The administration and rescue teams are striving to accelerate the search operation to locate all the missing girls as soon as possible.