Swimming lesson goes awry in Patna: NTPC staffer tries to save minor sons; 3 drown

PATNA: A morning that began with simple joy ended in unbearable tragedy for a family on Sunday as an NTPC employee and his two minor sons drowned in the Ganga in Patna district. The victims were identified as Raja Pandey (38) and his sons Ambar (9) and Yuvraj (7), residents of the Chondi locality.
The heartbreaking incident occurred during their routine bath at Dhobiya Ghat in Barh subdivision.
Raja was teaching his sons to swim with the help of a rubber tube when disaster struck. The tube was swept away by the river's current and both children began sinking into deeper waters. In a desperate attempt to save them, Raja jumped into the river, but overwhelmed by the strong current and depth, he too was swept away.
Ravi Ranjan, sub-inspector at Barh police station, said the incident occurred around 8.30am as the family was bathing on the riverbank. "The rubber tube drifted due to strong wind and toppled. When the kids started drowning, their father tried to save them and also drowned," he said.
Upon receiving the alert, local divers and rescue teams rushed to the spot. Yuvraj was the first to be pulled out and was immediately taken to a nearby hospital, but he died during treatment. Rescue workers later recovered the bodies of Ambar and Raja from the river. Police subsequently sent the bodies to Barh Sub-Divisional Hospital for post-mortem examination.
Narendra Kumar Singh, circle officer (CO) of Barh, said, "We received information that three members of the same family drowned in the Ganga. With the help of local divers, all the bodies were taken out. Further legal procedures are being completed."
The incident has cast a pall of grief over the locals. They have called on the administration to strengthen surveillance and security measures at the ghats to prevent such devastating incidents in future.