6 pilgrims dead,5 missing as vehicle skids into river

Bihar Shariff, Jul 15: At least six pilgrims died and five were missing when a vehicle skidded into river Panchane near Kochut village under Harnaut police station of Nalanda district last night.

The victims, who were from Uttar Pradesh, were returning from Deoghar in Jharkhand where they had gone to attend Shravan Mela.

Police sources said a jeep carrying 22 passengers skidded into the surging river after the driver lost control. While six bodies were fished out of the river in the downstream, 11 pilgrims were rescued. Police said five of them still remained untraced.

Lakhs of devotees visit Deoghar every year during the month long Shravani Mela and the pilgrimage from UP was undertaken as a part of the ritual.

Search was on to trace out the missing persons, sources said.

UNI