Patna: Six children drowned in a tragic incident in Bihar's Bhagalpur district on Monday morning while bathing in a waterlogged agricultural field ahead of the Karma-Dharma festival, officials said. 

The incident occurred around 10 a.m. on Monday in the Narayanpur Bahiyar area under the Ajgaivinath Dham block of Sultanganj police station limits. According to police, the children had gone to the area for a ritual bath and preparations related to the Karma-Dharma festival when the tragedy unfolded.

The victims were identified as Puja Kumari (13), daughter of Puran Mandal; Rahul Kumar (14); Vikas Kumar (13), son of Ranjan Kumar; Ayush Kumar (12), son of Vinod Mandal; Meenakshi Kumari, also known as Minki (12), daughter of Valmiki Mandal; and Jyoti Kumari (14), daughter of Dhananjay Mandal. Five of the children belonged to Bishnu Tola in Ward 27 of the Nagar Parishad area, while Jyoti was a resident of Ranchdidipur village.

Local residents said the fields had accumulated deep water due to recent rainfall and a rise in the Ganga river's water level. According to eyewitness accounts, one child slipped into a deeper section of the waterbody. The others reportedly attempted a rescue but were unable to assess the depth of the water and the marshy terrain beneath, leading to all six drowning.

As news of the incident spread, family members and villagers rushed to the spot. Local youths entered the water and retrieved the children before they were taken to the Community Health Centre. Doctors, however, declared all six dead on arrival.

The incident has plunged the affected families and the entire locality into grief. Police and administrative officials reached the site soon after being informed. The bodies have been sent for post-mortem examination, and further legal formalities are underway.