A wave of grief has washed over eastern India’s Bihar state after at least 46 people, including 37 children and seven women, drowned during the three-day Jivitputrika festival, BBC reports.
The deaths, which occurred across 15 districts in the past 24 hours, are attributed to the victims taking ritual baths in rivers and ponds swollen by recent flooding.
The Jivitputrika festival, celebrated annually, marks the well-being of children. Mothers traditionally fast for their children during this period. Officials in Bihar have stated that many individuals disregarded the hazardous water levels in rivers while participating in the festival’s bathing rituals.
Disaster management officials are expressing concern that the death toll may rise further. The state government has announced compensation for the families of the victims.
This tragedy highlights the recurring dangers associated with large religious gatherings in India, where safety measures are often neglected. In July, a stampede at a religious gathering in Uttar Pradesh state resulted in the deaths of 121 people. In 2018, a train rammed into a crowd celebrating Dusshera, a Hindu festival, leading to the deaths of nearly 60 people.
