Sitamarhi storm kills family of 5 as tree crushes kutcha house; Bihar on orange alert
Synopsis
A single Peepal tree — old, unguarded, standing beside a kutcha home — wiped out an entire family of five in Sitamarhi, including a one-month-old infant. As Bihar braces for the southwest monsoon's arrival between 10–15 June, the IMD has placed 24 districts on orange alert, warning that the worst of the pre-monsoon storms may still be ahead.
Key Takeaways
A Peepal tree uprooted by a storm killed five members of a family in Sitamarhi, Bihar on the night of 9 June .
The deceased include Puja Devi (28) , her daughter Shivani (5) , and three sons aged 7, 2 , and one month .
The incident occurred at 11:30 pm in Revasi Dhanushi Tola, Ward No.
1 under Riga police station .
Severe storms also caused widespread disruption in West Champaran's Bagaha region , blocking major roads and stranding commuters.
The IMD has issued an orange alert for 24 Bihar districts on Wednesday, warning of winds up to 60 kmph and heavy rain.
The southwest monsoon is expected to enter Bihar between 10 June and 15 June .
A Peepal tree uprooted by a violent storm collapsed onto a kutcha house in Sitamarhi district of Bihar late on Monday night, killing all five members of a family in their sleep, officials confirmed on Tuesday, 9 June. The incident is among the deadliest single-family storm casualties in the state this pre-monsoon season.
What Happened in Revasi Dhanushi Tola
The tragedy struck at around 11:30 pm in Revasi Dhanushi Tola (Ward No. 1) under the Riga police station area, when strong winds and heavy rain lashed the locality. An old Peepal tree standing beside the house was uprooted and fell directly onto the structure, causing it to collapse completely and trapping all five occupants beneath the debris. All five died on the spot.
The deceased have been identified as Puja Devi (28), wife of Sikandar Sahani; her daughter Shivani (5); and her three sons — Rajkumar (7), Veerbhadr Kumar (2), and one-month-old Laigar Kumar. The family had been asleep when the storm struck.
Official Response and Compensation
Upon receiving information, officials including the Sadar Sub-Divisional Police Officer (SDPO), the Block Development Officer (BDO), and personnel from Riga police station rushed to the site. Local villagers joined rescue teams in clearing the debris. The district administration has initiated the process of providing compensation and government assistance to the bereaved family in accordance with existing norms.
Storm Disruption Spreads to West Champaran
The Sitamarhi tragedy was not an isolated event. On the same evening, severe storms struck the Bagaha region of West Champaran district, uprooting trees, damaging houses, and blocking several major roads. A large tree fell near Banjariya Chowk on the Ramnagar-Bakhri main road, triggering a massive traffic jam that left thousands of commuters stranded for hours. Trees also fell along the Ramnagar-Lauriya and Ramnagar-Narkatiaganj routes, further disrupting transportation across the region.
IMD Alerts: Orange Warning for Multiple Districts
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued a yellow alert for 24 districts — including West Champaran, East Champaran, Sheohar, Sitamarhi, Madhubani, Supaul, Araria, Kishanganj, Purnea, Katihar, Madhepura, Saharsa, Khagaria, Bhagalpur, Banka, Munger, Jamui, Samastipur, Darbhanga, Muzaffarpur, Vaishali, Saran, Siwan, and Gopalganj — warning of thunderstorms, lightning, and winds of 40–50 kmph.
An orange alert has been issued for Wednesday for the same districts, forecasting stronger winds of 50–60 kmph, intensified lightning, and heavy rainfall. The Kosi-Seemanchal region is expected to receive particularly heavy rain. The IMD has advised residents to stay indoors during storms and avoid sheltering under trees. The southwest monsoon is expected to enter Bihar between 10 June and 15 June, according to the department.
Point of View
Structurally compromised trees standing metres from fragile homes in rural Bihar. Compensation announcements follow each tragedy, but systematic pre-monsoon tree audits near inhabited structures remain absent from district disaster management protocols. With the southwest monsoon still days away and an orange alert already active across 24 districts, the Sitamarhi toll is likely a preview, not an outlier. The real accountability question is whether Bihar's disaster preparedness extends beyond weather advisories to ground-level action.
NationPress
10 Aug 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What happened in Sitamarhi, Bihar on 9 June?
A massive Peepal tree was uprooted during a severe storm and collapsed onto a kutcha house in Revasi Dhanushi Tola, Sitamarhi, killing all five members of the same family. The incident occurred at around 11:30 pm on Monday night; all victims were asleep at the time.
Who were the victims of the Sitamarhi tree collapse?
The five deceased are Puja Devi (28), wife of Sikandar Sahani; her daughter Shivani (5); and her three sons — Rajkumar (7), Veerbhadr Kumar (2), and one-month-old Laigar Kumar. All five died on the spot when the structure collapsed on them.
What weather alerts has the IMD issued for Bihar?
The India Meteorological Department has issued a yellow alert for 24 Bihar districts, warning of thunderstorms and winds of 40–50 kmph. An orange alert has been issued for Wednesday for the same districts, forecasting winds of 50–60 kmph, heavy rainfall, and intensified lightning activity.
When is the monsoon expected to arrive in Bihar?
According to the IMD, the southwest monsoon is expected to enter Bihar between 10 June and 15 June 2025. The approaching monsoon has been accompanied by severe pre-monsoon storms across multiple districts.
What other storm damage occurred in Bihar on the same night?
Severe storms also struck the Bagaha region of West Champaran district, uprooting trees, damaging houses, and blocking major roads. A tree fell near Banjariya Chowk on the Ramnagar-Bakhri road, causing a traffic jam that stranded thousands of commuters for hours.
