PATNA: Five members of a family were killed when a massive Peepal tree fell on their house during a severe storm and rain that lashed Bihar’s Sitamarhi district, officials said on Tuesday.
The tragic incident took place around 11.30 pm on Monday at Revasi Dhanusi Tola (Ward No. 1) under Riga police station limits in the district.
The deceased were identified as Pooja Devi (28), her daughter Shivani (5), and her three sons, Raj Kumar (7), Veerbhandra Kumar (2) and one-month-old Laigar Kumar.
According to local residents, the family was asleep inside their kuccha house when the storm struck. The house collapsed after a massive Peepal tree was uprooted and crashed onto it.
The severe weather uprooted several trees across Sitamarhi and neighbouring districts. Upon receiving information about the incident, district officials rushed to the spot and sent the bodies for postmortem examination.
The tragedy left residents of the village in shock.
“We reached the spot, but the damage had already been done. The debris was removed, but four of them had already died, while Veerbhandra was recovered alive. He too later succumbed to his injuries,” said Raja Kumar, a resident of the village.
Riga Sub-Divisional Police Officer (SDPO) Rajiv Singh said the victim’s family would be provided compensation as per government norms.
Abhishek Tripathi, Station House Officer (SHO) of Riga police station, said the bodies had been sent to Sadar Hospital in Sitamarhi for postmortem examination.
Senior administrative officials also visited the affected village and reviewed the relief and rescue operations.