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Dozens of people have drowned in connection with Hindu bathing rituals in eastern India.
At least 46 people – including 37 children – died in connection with bathing in lakes and rivers on Tuesday and Wednesday, an official in the state of Bihar told AFP.
There have been many floods in the area as a result of rainy weather.
“People ignored the dangerously high water levels in the rivers and lakes when they went swimming to celebrate this holiday,” said the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity as he was not authorized to speak to the media.
Three more people are being sought in the waterways, according to his information.
The Hindu festival is called jitaya. Mothers fast as a commitment to the well-being of their children and the fast is broken after communal bathing.