Six, including five children, were drowned in Arwal and Siwan districts of Bihar on Thursday.
At the Arwal ghat when some women of the village went to the Sone river to take a holy dip after the Jeutia festival the acccident took place. They were accompanied by their children.
Jeutia is celebrated in Bihar and eastern Uttar Pradesh when women fast for the long life of their children. The 24 hour-fast is followed by the holy dip in any water body.
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The police said due to heavy illegal sand mining by mafia the children misjudged the depth of the river and were drowned.
"The women taking the holy dip managed to fish out 6 children. They rushed them to the Sadar hospital Arwal where 4 of them succumbed. The condition of two of the children is serious," said RC Singh, an ASI of Aganoor police post of Arwal district.
The other incident took place in Dumra village of Siwan, where two persons, including a 14-year-old child drowned in a pond. The adult was a woman identified as Surjato Devi while the child, Sumit Manjhi. Surjato, while taking a bath in the pond located at Dumra Sati Mata temple, went deep inside and started drowning. Sumit jumped in to rescue her but failed. He also drowned.
"We have fished out both the dead bodies with the help of villagers and sent them for autopsy in Sadar hospital," said DP Singh, SHO of Jamo police station.