Bhagalpur: The Karam-Dharma festival turned into a tragedy in Bihar’s Bhagalpur district on Monday after six children drowned while bathing in a pond in Taraita Bahiyar under SultanGanj police station.

The deceased reportedly included three boys and three girls. The incident caused panic in the area and left the families of the children devastated.

According to the information, the children had gone to the pond to bathe on the occasion of the Karam-Dharma festival. During this time, one child reportedly entered deep water and began drowning. Other children entered the water while trying to save the child, after which all six were caught in the deeper section of the pond.

Local residents and family members attempted to pull the children out of the water.

After receiving information about the incident, police and local residents reached the spot. Following considerable efforts, all six children were brought out of the water and taken to the SultanGanj Community Health Centre, where doctors declared all six dead.

Some reports have put the ages of the deceased children at around 10 to 12 years.

The incident has left the village in mourning, with the families of the deceased children devastated.

Bhagalpur has also been experiencing flooding and waterlogging in recent days. In such conditions, it can be difficult to judge the depth of ponds, waterlogged areas and other water bodies.

The incident highlights the need for extra caution when children are near ponds and other water sources.