New Delhi: At least 46 people, including 37 children, have drowned while celebrating a festival in eastern India, the AFP reported.
Devotees drowned in separate incidents across Bihar, as worshippers marked the Jitiya Parv Hindu festival, observed by mothers for the wellbeing of their children.
"People ignored dangerous water levels in rivers as well as ponds while bathing," a local official told AFP. The families of the victims will be compensated by the state.
Deadly incidents are common at places of worship during religious festivals in India. A year ago, 22 people died during the same festival, including 15 children.