Bhagalpur: A search operation is underway after five children drowned while bathing in the Kosi River near Hario Kosi Trimuhan Ghat in Hario Panchayat under Bihpur block on Sunday. Two of the children managed to swim to safety, while three remain missing in the river, prompting an urgent rescue effort by local divers and authorities.
The missing children have been identified as 13-year-old Lakshman Kumar, son of Captain Yadav; 12-year-old Nayan Kumar, son of Shankar Sharma; and 14-year-old Yuvraj alias Pritam Kumar, son of Pintu Yadav. All three belong to Ward No. 12 of Maheshpur village in Hario Panchayat.
According to preliminary reports, the children had travelled with their parents to Govindpur, located across the Kosi River, to collect cattle fodder. While returning, five of them entered the river to bathe. During playful activity in the water, two children reportedly began drowning in the deeper current. A third child jumped in to help but was also pulled under, while the remaining two managed to escape and reach the riverbank.
Local divers immediately began searching the river, and teams from the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) have been called in to assist with the rescue effort. The incident was reported to authorities by Mukhiya representative Sachchidanand Singh and local resident Mahendra Rishidev, who informed the area’s MLA, Engineer Shailendra.
The news of the incident quickly spread across nearby villages, drawing hundreds of people to the riverbank. Block Development Officer Satyanarayan Pandit and River Police Station in-charge Keshav Chandra arrived at the scene with their teams to oversee the ongoing operation.
The tragedy has cast a pall over the village, with anxious families and residents gathering near the river as rescue teams continue their search for the missing children.
