In a heartbreaking incident on Sunday, four young girls tragically 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 were collecting soil to make clay stoves for their homes when the mound, which had been dug multiple times over the years, suddenly became unstable. The victims, identified as Shivani Kumari (6), Sanju Kumari (11), Nayantara Kumari (12), and Sarita Kumari (11), were buried under the pile of earth.
A fifth girl, Karishma Kumari (10), suffered critical injuries and is receiving treatment at a local hospital. According to family members, the girls had gone to gather soil to plaster their houses ahead of the Pidhya festival. The soil mound had long been used by locals for construction purposes, including building mud houses and stoves.
The collapse occurred suddenly while the girls were digging. Children playing nearby raised the alarm, and villagers rushed to their aid. Despite efforts to rescue the girls and transport them to the hospital, four were declared dead on arrival by doctors. Local authorities have launched an investigation into the cause of the collapse. Superintendent of Police Shubham Arya confirmed that a team, led by Sadar SDPO Dheeraj Kumar, is examining the incident. In response to the tragedy, the Bihar government has announced financial aid of Rs 20,000 for each of the deceased girl's families, along with an ex-gratia payment of Rs 4 lakh.