A tragic incident unfolded in Sitamarhi district when a large Peepal tree was uprooted by a severe storm, crashing onto a house and claiming the lives of five family members. The victims were identified as Puja Devi (28), her daughter Shivani (5), and her three sons – Rajkumar (7), Veerbhadr Kumar (2), and one-month-old Laigar Kumar.
The family was asleep in their kutcha house next to the old Peepal tree when strong winds and heavy rain hit the area around 11:30 p.m., causing the tree to fall directly onto the house. The impact led to the complete collapse of the structure, trapping all five occupants under the debris, resulting in their immediate deaths.
Local authorities, including the Sadar SDPO, the Block Development Officer (BDO), and Riga police station personnel, responded to the scene upon receiving information about the tragedy. Villagers also assisted in the rescue efforts by helping to clear the debris.
The district administration has started the process of providing compensation and government aid to the affected family in accordance with established norms. This unfortunate event occurred amidst deteriorating weather conditions in Bihar as the southwest monsoon approaches the state.
Severe storms and rainfall on Monday evening also caused significant disruptions in the Bagaha region of West Champaran district, with strong winds uprooting trees, damaging houses, and blocking major roads. The Meteorological Department has issued weather alerts for various districts in Bihar, warning of thunderstorms, lightning, and strong winds reaching speeds of 40-50 kmph.
