In a tragic incident on Sunday, four young girls lost their lives when a mound of soil collapsed on them in Sarenja village, located in the Rajpur police station area of Bihar's Buxar district. The girls, who were digging soil to make clay stoves for their homes, were buried under the pile of earth. One other girl sustained critical injuries and is undergoing treatment at a local hospital.
The victims, identified as Shivani Kumari (6), Sanju Kumari (11), Nayantara Kumari (12), and Sarita Kumari (11), were part of a group of five girls who had gone to collect soil for plastering their houses ahead of the Pidhya festival. According to family members, the mound of soil had been dug multiple times over the years and had become unstable. While digging, the mound suddenly collapsed, trapping the girls beneath.
Children playing nearby raised the alarm, and residents rushed to rescue the victims. Despite efforts to remove the debris and rush the girls to a nearby hospital, four were declared dead on arrival by doctors. The condition of the fifth girl, Karishma Kumari (10), remains critical. Authorities have launched an investigation into the incident.
Superintendent of Police Shubham Arya confirmed that a team led by Sadar SDPO Dheeraj Kumar is looking into the causes of the collapse. The local police have also noted that the soil mound had been a long-standing source of earth for villagers, often used for construction purposes like mud houses and stoves.
The tragic event has sent shockwaves through the village and surrounding areas. As a mark of support, the Bihar government has announced financial assistance of Rs 20,000 to the families of each deceased girl, along with an ex-gratia payment of Rs 4 lakh.
The incident has once again raised concerns about the safety of such excavation activities and the need for precautionary measures to prevent such accidents in the future.
