In a devastating incident, five members of a family, including a 12-year-old boy, drowned in the Sukhnai River during a religious ritual here on Tuesday.
The incident took place in the Mauranipur area around 1 pm when the family members, attending a 'shraddh' ceremony, entered the river to perform some rituals.
However, after the ritual was completed, some of them apparently strayed into deep waters and began drowning.
Other family members rushed to their rescue but were also swept into deep waters by the strong current, Mauranipur Circle Officer Ratnesh Kumar Singh said.
The deceased have been identified as 40-year-old Anoop Tiwari, his son Arpit (12), Abhinav (24), Shreyansh alias Kallu (22) and Chhote alias Pushkar (25).
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According to Mauranipur Circle Officer Ratnesh Kumar Singh, "Five people drowned in the incident while other members of the family managed to come out safely," Singh said.
Police teams reached the spot and recovered all five bodies, which have been sent for post-mortem, the officer said, adding that an investigation is underway to ascertain the circumstances leading to the incident.
This comes amid Pitru Paksha (also known as Sharad or Shradh), which, according to the Hindu calendar, runs from September 26 to October 10. This 16-day lunar period is dedicated to honouring and performing ancestral rites for departed forefathers.