Lakhisarai/Patna: A bizarre and mysterious incident in Damodarpur village of Lakhisarai district has left residents astonished after fish reportedly rained down from the sky during a severe storm on Saturday night. While many villagers are considering it a divine miracle, scientists attribute the rare phenomenon to a natural weather event known as a waterspout.
The incident unfolded after a light evening shower intensified into a powerful storm around 8:00 PM. Soon after, news spread from Damodarpur village, which is adjacent to the town of Lakhisarai, that fish were falling from the sky along with the rain.
“Fish have fallen far and wide, and their total weight must have been more than 80 kg,” said villager Biku Singh. “People could not identify some of the fish, possibly they were foreign species. Apart from fish, snakes and turtles have also fallen with the rain.”
The news of this incredible event quickly spread to neighboring villages, drawing crowds of children, the elderly, and adults who came out in the darkness to collect the fish. According to villagers, some cooked and ate the fish in the morning, while others, observing the holy month of Sawan, stored them in water at home.
Villagers estimate that more than twenty maunds (approximately 800 kg) of fish of varying sizes and species fell. “There would hardly be any house in the village where fish did not fall,” one resident claimed.
The Scientific Explanation: Waterspouts
While such events are often considered miracles or rumors, science offers a clear explanation. The phenomenon is caused by a “waterspout,” which is a type of small tornado that forms over a body of water such as a sea or a lake.
This powerful rotating column of air has the ability to lift water and all small creatures within it—including fish, frogs, and crabs—hundreds of feet into the air. The creatures are carried along with the storm clouds until the waterspout weakens or the wind changes direction. At that point, the water and animals are released, causing them to fall to the ground as if raining from the sky.
Similar incidents have been documented globally, including in Texarkana, Texas, in 2022 and in Thailand in 2024. For the residents of Damodarpur, however, the event remains a blend of scientific curiosity and profound faith.
