Six children drown in Bihar during Chhath preperations

Six boys drowned on Tuesday in a village pond, during the preparations of 'Chhath puja', wherein the Sun god is worshipped.

Reportedly, 12 children, aged between 10 and 12 years, unaccompanied by any guardians had entered the pond in Saharsa village to clean the banks, which is a common practice during the festival.

Out of the 12 children, six drowned and two are missing while remaining others managed to get out of the pond.

District Magistrate (DM) of Saharsa, Shashi Bhusan Kumar said that investigation into the unfortunate incident has been initiated.

"This matter is being investigated. According to preliminary investigations, the children drowned during preparations for Chhath puja. The exact picture of events will emerge only after the investigation is complete," Kumar said.

The Chhath is celebrated on the sixth and seventh days, after Diwali, the festival of lights. It is significant for married women who observe a three-day fast and standing in waist-deep river waters, present religious offerings to the Sun God.

Chhath is considered an extremely auspicious festival by the people of Bihar and in parts of neighbouring northern Uttar Pradesh state.

The festival has gained popularity in metropolitan cities like Kolkata, Pune and Mumbai, where large numbers of migrants from the states like Bihar and Uttar Pradesh go in search of a living.