4 minor girls drown in East Champaran pond during Jitiya festival
Synopsis
Four girls aged between 10 and 13 drowned in a village pond in Bihar's East Champaran district during Jitiya festival bathing rituals on 2 October. The deaths — involving two sisters from the same family — have prompted villagers to demand barricading and warning signs at the pond, and triggered a compensation process by the district administration.
Key Takeaways
Four minor girls — Sonamati (13) , Phulmati (10) , Sonali Kumari (10) , and Pratima Kumari (12) — drowned in a pond in Bankat village , East Champaran , on 2 October 2025 .
The drownings occurred during Jitiya festival bathing rituals when the girls reportedly moved into a deeper section of the pond.
All four were declared dead on arrival at the Community Health Centre, Paharpur .
Bodies were sent to Motihari for post-mortem; Paharpur police are completing legal formalities.
Villagers have demanded warning signs and barricading at the pond to prevent future accidents.
The East Champaran district administration has begun the process of providing compensation to the families.
Four minor girls drowned in a pond at Bankat village under the Paharpur police station area of East Champaran district, Bihar, on 2 October 2025 while bathing as part of the Jitiya festival rituals. The tragedy struck during what had been a morning of celebrations, casting a pall of grief over the village.
How the Incident Unfolded
According to officials, several women and girls from Bankat village had gone to the local pond to bathe — a customary practice observed during the Jitiya festival. At some point during the activity, the four girls reportedly drifted toward a deeper section of the pond and drowned.
When the girls were not seen for some time, other bathers raised an alarm. Villagers rushed to the pond and waded into the water, eventually retrieving all four children. The girls were rushed to the Community Health Centre in Paharpur, where doctors declared them dead on arrival.
The Deceased
The four victims have been identified as Sonamati, 13, daughter of Pramod Mahto; Phulmati, 10, also daughter of Pramod Mahto; Sonali Kumari, 10, daughter of Virendra Mahto; and Pratima Kumari, 12, daughter of Achhelal Paswan. All four were from the same village.
Police Response and Post-Mortem
Personnel from Paharpur police station reached the site after being informed of the drownings. Officers spoke with the families and local residents to establish the circumstances surrounding the incident. The bodies were taken into police custody and transported to Motihari for post-mortem examinations. Police said necessary legal procedures were being completed.
Villagers Demand Safety Measures
In the aftermath of the deaths, local residents demanded that authorities install warning signs alerting people to dangerous sections of the pond. They also called for barricading around vulnerable areas to prevent similar tragedies during future gatherings. Notably, festival congregations at water bodies have repeatedly resulted in drowning incidents across Bihar and other states, underlining the absence of systematic safety infrastructure at rural ponds.
The East Champaran district administration has initiated the process of providing compensation to the bereaved families, according to officials. The incident has renewed calls for mandatory safety audits of public water bodies ahead of festivals that involve bathing rituals.
Point of View
Yet warning signage, depth markers, and barricading remain absent at most such sites. The fact that two of the four victims were sisters from the same household deepens the scale of individual family loss. The district administration's compensation announcement, while necessary, does not address the structural gap — no safety audit mechanism exists for water bodies ahead of festivals that draw large crowds. Until rural pond safety is treated as a public infrastructure issue rather than a post-tragedy response, such incidents will repeat with the same predictability.
NationPress
2 Oct 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What happened during the Jitiya festival in East Champaran?
Four minor girls drowned in a pond in Bankat village, East Champaran district, Bihar, on 2 October 2025 while bathing as part of Jitiya festival rituals. They reportedly moved into a deeper section of the pond and could not be rescued in time.
Who were the four girls who drowned in East Champaran?
The victims were Sonamati (13) and Phulmati (10), both daughters of Pramod Mahto; Sonali Kumari (10), daughter of Virendra Mahto; and Pratima Kumari (12), daughter of Achhelal Paswan — all residents of Bankat village.
What action did the police take after the drowning incident?
Personnel from Paharpur police station reached the site, spoke to families and residents, and took the bodies into custody. The bodies were sent to Motihari for post-mortem examinations and police said necessary legal procedures were being completed.
What demands have villagers made following the deaths?
Villagers have demanded the installation of warning signs to alert people about dangerous sections of the pond, and barricading around vulnerable areas to prevent similar accidents in the future, particularly during festivals.
Has the government offered any relief to the families?
Yes, the East Champaran district administration has initiated the process of providing compensation to the families of the four deceased girls, according to officials.
