Overloaded boat capsizes in pond in northern India, two youths drown during festival
by Aditi VermaIn a tragic incident during the Chhath festival in northern India’s Bihar, an overloaded boat capsized in a pond, leading to the drowning of two young men. The festival’s joy quickly turned to sorrow as family and villagers mourned their loss.
The incident took place at Pachbhinda village, located in the Taraiya area of Chhapra in Saran district on November 8.
Visuals showed a pond, a small boat, overloaded with passengers, tipped over and threw everyone into the water. As the boat lost balance, the people onboard plunged into the pond, struggling to stay afloat. Nearby, onlookers watched the accident unfold, and some quickly jumped into the water to help those who were drowning. The scene was tense, with rescuers swimming toward the panicked passengers, trying to pull them to safety amidst the ripples and chaos in the pond.
According to reports, while eight passengers managed to swim to safety, the two young men, identified as Bitu Kumar Singh (18) and Dasai Manjhi (18), drowned in the water.
Bitu Kumar Singh, the only son of his family, had already faced the tragedy of his father’s passing, and his death has left his family devastated. Dasai Manjhi was also a local youth, leaving behind grieving parents and relatives.
Upon hearing of the incident, villagers blocked roads and protested due to the lack of a vehicle to transport the bodies for post-mortem, further intensifying the tragic atmosphere. The police arrived at the scene, retrieved the bodies, and sent them to Chhapra Sadar Hospital for autopsy. The authorities have initiated an investigation into the incident.