A tragic incident unfolded in Siwan district on Saturday evening during the Jitiya festival, as three young girls drowned in a river. The heartbreaking event occurred in Rampur village, under the MH Nagar police station area. The deceased have been identified as Anshu Kumari (14), daughter of Kamlesh Sah; Anjali Kumari (13), daughter of Raju Sah; and Anisha Kumari (12), daughter of Manoj Pandit, all residents of Rampur.

According to family members and local residents, a large number of women, children, and girls had gathered at the river for a ritual bath on Saturday, coinciding with the Jitiya festival. During the bathing, one girl ventured into deep water. In an attempt to rescue her, the other two girls also entered the deep water and subsequently drowned. The incident occurred in the evening, which delayed the commencement of rescue operations.

Upon receiving information, Sawan Circle Officer Udayan Singh and MH Nagar Station House Officer Rajiv Patel arrived at the scene. Approximately a dozen divers were deployed into the river. After about an hour of strenuous effort, all three girls were recovered and rushed to the local Primary Health Center (PHC), where doctors declared them dead. The families took the bodies home the same night and performed the last rites without a post-mortem examination, as they did not consent to it or submit any application.

Local residents have raised concerns about the administrative preparedness. They pointed out that due to recent rains and floods, the water levels and depths of rivers and ponds were significantly higher. Despite this, during the festival, there were no adequate safety arrangements, police personnel, magistrates, divers, or markings indicating deep water at the dangerous ghats. The administration is typically aware of large gatherings at water bodies during festivals like Jitiya, yet security lapses were apparent. This Jitiya festival also saw a total of four young women and one youth die in separate incidents across different parts of Siwan, turning a festival meant for wishing long life for children into a day of mourning for several families.