A 14-year-old boy drowned and his 19-year-old cousin remained missing after the two entered deeper water beyond safety barricades at Maujabari Chhath Ghat in Bihar’s Kishanganj district on Friday, prompting an SDRF search operation that continued into the evening.
The deceased was identified as Shivam Kumar, son of Harendra Yadav. His cousin, Priya Kumari, daughter of Rajesh Yadav, could not be traced after the incident. Both were residents of Bahadurganj locality under the Kochadhaman police station area and were cousins.
According to preliminary information reported by the Times of India, Shivam and Priya crossed the safety barricades at the ghat and ventured into deeper water. They reportedly became caught in the current and began to drown. The incident caused panic among devotees present at the site.
Local residents rushed towards the water and attempted to rescue the two before alerting the authorities. Shivam had died by the time assistance arrived, while Priya remained unaccounted for. An SDRF team reached the ghat after being informed and began search-and-rescue efforts.
The team recovered Shivam’s body from the water after considerable effort. The search for Priya continued until late evening, but rescuers were unable to locate her. The report did not provide further details about the depth of the water, the number of barricades in place or the circumstances in which the two crossed them.
SDPO-I Khusru Siraj reached the spot and monitored the operation along with the local police administration. The police and rescue teams continued coordinating efforts at the ghat as residents and devotees gathered near the site.
The SDRF was scheduled to resume the search on Saturday morning, according to the SDPO. The continuing operation was the next official step in efforts to locate Priya Kumari.
