Teen and aunt drown while rescuing each other during river ritual in Samastipur, Bihar

Samastipur district’s Rosda village in Bihar witnessed a tragic drowning on the day of the incident. Fifteen‑year‑old Sonia Kumari entered the Gandak River as part of a traditional "kshaur karm" bathing ceremony. While she was in the water, she began to struggle and appeared to be drowning.\n\nSeeing her niece in distress, her aunt Kajal Kumari plunged into the river in an attempt to pull her out. Both women were swept away by the current and could not be rescued on site.\n\nRescue teams arrived after the incident and recovered the bodies approximately three hours later. Local authorities have confirmed the deaths and are conducting standard procedures.\n\nThe incident underscores the risks associated with unsupervised river bathing during religious rites, prompting calls for greater safety measures in similar ceremonies.\n\nPolice have recorded the event as an accidental death and are advising residents to exercise caution near fast‑flowing rivers during rituals.