Five Kanwariyas killed as DJ vehicle overturns in flooded river in Bihar’s Bhagalpur
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Patna: Five Kanwariyas died after a DJ-fitted vehicle carrying them overturned in a rain-swollen river in Bhagalpur district’s Shahkund area late on Sunday night.
The incident took place around 11.30 pm near Belthu Mahato Sthan on the Shahkund-Bhagalpur main road when 12 devotees were on their way to Sultanganj Ganga Ghat to collect holy water for offering at Jaithornath Dham in Amarpur on the last Monday of Sawan.
The vehicle was loaded with a generator and a sound system besides the devotees. Rescue efforts were launched by villagers and police, who pulled the victims from the water and rushed them to the Shahkund Community Health Centre. Five of them were declared dead.
Shahkund police station SHO Jaynath Sharan said heavy rain, darkness and loud DJ music likely contributed to the accident. The driver is believed to have failed to notice a rain-fed stream flowing dangerously close to the road and drove into the fast-moving water, causing the vehicle to overturn.
“We have recovered the dead bodies and sent them for the post-mortem. An overhead electricity wire was also crossing there. The post-mortem report will clear whether electrocution contributed to the mishap or not,” Sharan said.
All five deceased were students of High School Shahkund and residents of Purani Kherhi and Kaswa Kherhi villages under Kherhi Panchayat. They were identified as Santosh Kumar (20), son of Nimal Paswan, Manoj Kumar, Vikram Kumar, Ankush Kumar, and another Vikram Kumar.
Of the 12 devotees on board, three managed to swim to safety but are in shock and have yet to give statements. The driver’s whereabouts remain unclear, with some locals claiming he fled and others fearing he may have drowned.
A JCB machine has been deployed to aid the search operation. The tragedy has sparked debate over safety measures and the use of DJ-fitted vehicles during the Kanwar Yatra.
