Six drown in Ganga at Ballia's Shivrampur Ghat during ritual
Synopsis
Six people, including four teenage girls, drowned in the Ganga at Ballia's Shivrampur Ghat during a ritual bathing ceremony on Sunday morning. Two were rescued alive, but the remaining bodies are still missing as SDRF teams, divers, and local fishermen race against strong currents — with CM Yogi Adityanath personally directing rescue efforts.
Key Takeaways
Six people , including four teenage girls , drowned in the Ganga River at Shivrampur Ghat , Ballia , on Sunday morning .
Two girls were rescued alive; the remaining bodies are still missing as of the latest update.
Victims belonged to a family from Kalyanipur village under Fefna police station area.
Rescue teams comprising local fishermen, fire brigade, divers, and the SDRF from Gorakhpur are actively searching.
CM Yogi Adityanath directed officials to reach the spot immediately and expedite rescue operations.
Six people, including four teenage girls, drowned in the Ganga River at Shivrampur Ghat in Ballia district, Uttar Pradesh, on Sunday morning during a ritual bathing ceremony. Two of the victims were rescued, while the remaining bodies are still being searched for as rescue teams battle strong river currents.
How the Tragedy Unfolded
According to officials, the victims had arrived at the ghat for a ritual ceremony. While bathing, four of them reportedly began to drown after one slipped into the river. In a desperate attempt to save them, two youths jumped into the water but were also swept away by the strong currents.
Deputy Superintendent of Police Muhammad Usman provided details of the incident: "At around 7.30 am, four people were bathing on the Shivrampur bank of Kotwali police station. One of them slipped, and three others came forward to save him. Four of them drowned. Four of them are being found with the help of local fishermen and fire brigades. Apart from this, the SDRF team is also coming from Gorakhpur. The situation is stable at the moment."
According to local sources, the victims belonged to a family from Kalyanipur village under the Fefna police station area, who had gathered at the ghat for the ceremony.
Large-Scale Rescue Operation Underway
Authorities have launched a large-scale search and rescue operation at the site. Local fishermen, fire brigade teams, and divers are actively engaged in tracing the missing individuals. The State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) team from Gorakhpur has also been deployed to assist in the search efforts.
Police confirmed that two of the girls were rescued alive, while the bodies of the remaining victims are yet to be recovered. Search teams are working against time amid the river's strong currents.
CM Yogi Adityanath Intervenes
Taking cognisance of the tragedy, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath directed officials to reach the spot immediately and expedite relief and rescue operations. He reportedly instructed authorities to ensure all possible measures are taken to locate the missing persons at the earliest.
This comes amid recurring incidents of drowning at ghats along the Ganga, particularly during ritual bathing ceremonies when large groups gather at riverbanks with varying levels of swimming ability. Authorities have repeatedly flagged the need for better safety infrastructure at such sites.
Grief and Anxiety Grip the Region
The incident has cast a pall of gloom across the region. Anxious family members and locals continued to wait for updates at the ghat as rescue teams intensified their efforts. The tragedy has renewed calls for stricter safety measures and lifeguard deployment at busy ritual bathing sites along the river.
Rescue operations are ongoing, and further updates are expected as SDRF teams complete their sweep of the affected stretch of the Ganga.
Point of View
Yet basic safety infrastructure — lifeguards, warning markers, crowd management — remains absent at most rural ghats in Uttar Pradesh. The deployment of SDRF teams from as far as Gorakhpur underscores the lack of local disaster-response capacity in Ballia. CM Yogi's swift directive is a necessary response, but the pattern demands a structural fix: mandatory safety audits of high-footfall ritual ghats before festival and ceremony seasons, not just reactive rescue operations after lives are lost.
NationPress
7 Aug 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What happened at Shivrampur Ghat in Ballia?
Six people, including four teenage girls, drowned in the Ganga River at Shivrampur Ghat in Ballia, Uttar Pradesh, on Sunday morning during a ritual bathing ceremony. One person slipped into the river, and others who attempted to rescue them were also swept away by strong currents.
How many people were rescued?
Two of the girls were rescued alive, according to police. The bodies of the remaining victims were still missing as rescue operations continued.
Who are the victims?
The victims reportedly belonged to a family from Kalyanipur village under the Fefna police station area in Ballia district, who had gathered at Shivrampur Ghat for a ritual ceremony.
What rescue teams have been deployed?
Local fishermen, fire brigade teams, and divers are engaged in the search. The State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) team from Gorakhpur has also been deployed to assist in locating the missing persons.
What action has CM Yogi Adityanath taken?
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath took cognisance of the incident and directed officials to reach the spot immediately and expedite relief and rescue work, instructing them to take all possible measures to locate the missing persons at the earliest.
