Four relatives, including three siblings, drowned in an agricultural water reservoir in Rajasthan’s Bikaner district after attempting to rescue a 14-year-old girl who fell into the tank, police said. The incident took place in 9AWM village of Chhatargarh tehsil during Bhai Dooj on Wednesday.
The victims were identified as Pooja, 14, her brothers Mukesh, 18, and Manoj, 16, and their cousin Nirmal Nayak, 21. The water reservoir, locally known as a diggi, is located on a farm owned by a man identified by police as Ramesh Nayak.
Khajuwala circle officer Vijaypal Yadav said Pooja had gone to the 100-by-100-foot farm reservoir to bathe when her foot slipped and she fell into a deeper section of the tank. Two of her brothers and their cousin entered the water in an attempt to save her, but all four drowned, he said.
The incident highlights the safety risks around agricultural water storage structures in parts of northern Rajasthan. Diggis are commonly built on farmland to store water for irrigation. According to officials, their steep sides and lined walls can make it difficult for people who fall in to climb out without assistance.
Villagers alerted the police after the incident. Chhatargarh police station officer Navneet Dhaliwal said a search operation was launched after officers inspected the reservoir and collected information from family members and eyewitnesses.
Police recovered all four bodies from the water tank and shifted them to a hospital mortuary for legal formalities, Dhaliwal said. The deaths occurred during Bhai Dooj, a festival associated with the bond between brothers and sisters, leaving the village in mourning.
The account provided by police indicates that the deaths followed a chain of events in which an initial fall prompted an attempted rescue by three relatives. No other details about the reservoir’s safety arrangements or whether warning signage or protective barriers were present were provided in the report.
Police completed the recovery operation and transferred the bodies for the required legal procedures. Further action will depend on the authorities’ formal assessment of the incident.
