Overview
- The Karam Dali immersion in Palamu district on Wednesday resulted in two separate drowning incidents that left six people dead during the festival’s concluding rites.
- In Bokaya near the Koel River an eight‑year‑old boy drifted into deeper water and four people who jumped in to rescue him also drowned; five bodies were recovered there.
- Authorities identified the Bokaya victims as Amit Kumar Thakur (22), Nitish Kumar Singh (18), Vishal Paswan (16), Raja Singh (12) and Hemant Kumar Singh (8).
- In Nani Jharia a 16‑year‑old girl, Simpi Kumari, slipped into a pond during an immersion and drowned; police and local residents retrieved the body and sent it to Medinirai Medical College and Hospital for post‑mortem.
- Karam Dali immersion is the final ritual of the tribal Karam festival when worshipped tree branches are placed in water, a practice that concentrates people at rivers and ponds and can increase drowning risk, prompting local rescue operations and an official review of safety measures.