Patna, July 21 (IANS) A wave of mourning has gripped the Saran district after three members of a family tragically drowned in the Ganga during the immersion of the urn after Rudrabhishek on the occasion of Sawan Somwari.

The incident took place at Mirpur Ghat under Dighwara police station limits.

According to locals, a large crowd had gathered at the ghat for the immersion ceremony when the three victims went into deep water and were swept away by the strong current.

On receiving information, the administration reached the spot promptly with divers, and after significant efforts, the bodies were recovered and taken to PHC Dighwara, where doctors declared them dead.

The incident has left the entire village in grief, with the families inconsolable.

The administration has initiated an investigation into the incident and appealed to the public to exercise caution while visiting riverbanks during the monsoon.

In a separate incident in Patna on Monday, five children from Badi Patan Devi Colony went to Bhadra Ghat under Alamganj police station limits for a bath in the Ganga on Sawan Somwari when they were swept away by the strong current.

SSB jawans managed to rescue three of the children safely, but two children remain missing.

The missing have been identified as Shivam Kumar (16), son of Vakil Mahato, and Pawan Kumar (17), son of Ranjan Kumar, both residents of Badi Patan Devi Colony.

Following the incident, three teams of the SDRF launched a rescue operation, which continued late into the evening. However, despite several hours of intensive search operations, the children remain untraceable.

Alamganj police station SHO stated that the children were swept away while bathing, and as soon as the information was received, family members reached the spot while rescue operations were launched.

The incident has led to chaos and despair among the families, with parents and relatives crying inconsolably as the search continues.

–IANS

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