India: 37 children drown during Hindu festival in Bihar

They are among 46 victims in the northern Bihar state during a festival for children's wellbeing.

British Broadcasting CorporationWatchHomeNewsUS ElectionSportBusinessInnovationCultureArtsTravelEarthVideoLiveHomeNewsIsrael-Gaza WarWar in UkraineUS & CanadaUKUK PoliticsEnglandN. IrelandN. Ireland PoliticsScotlandScotland PoliticsWalesWales PoliticsAfricaAsiaChinaIndiaAustraliaEuropeLatin AmericaMiddle EastIn PicturesBBC InDepthBBC VerifyUS ElectionElection pollsKamala HarrisDonald TrumpJD VanceTim WalzSportBusinessExecutive LoungeTechnology of BusinessWomen at the HelmFuture of BusinessInnovationTechnologyScience & HealthArtificial IntelligenceAI v the MindCultureFilm & TVMusicArt & DesignStyleBooksEntertainment NewsArtsArts in MotionTravelDestinationsAfricaAntarcticaAsiaAustralia and PacificCaribbean & BermudaCentral AmericaEuropeMiddle EastNorth AmericaSouth AmericaWorld’s TableCulture & ExperiencesAdventuresThe SpeciaListEarthNatural WondersWeather & ScienceClimate SolutionsSustainable BusinessGreen LivingVideoLiveLive NewsLive SportHomeNewsUS ElectionSportBusinessInnovationCultureArtsTravelEarthVideoLiveAudioWeatherNewslettersNearly 40 children in India drown during Hindu festivalHindustan Times via Getty ImagesThe annual Jivitputrika festival is celebrated in several states in north-eastern India. In this 2020 photo, women and children are seen bathing in a river in the Uttar Pradesh state.At least 46 people - including 37 children and seven women - drowned while celebrating a Hindu religious festival in eastern India, local officials said.

The fatalities were confirmed across 15 districts in the past 24 hours.

A disaster management official said the victims died while ritually bathing in rivers and ponds swollen by recent flooding.

The three-day Jivitputrika festival celebrates children's wellbeing every year and is also marked with mothers fasting for them.

Officials in Bihar said many people ignored dangerous water levels in rivers while bathing to celebrate the festival.

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cj4d2qqj877o

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