Three drown in river trying to shoot video on TikTok in Muzaffarpur

According to a police official, three youths jumped into the river holding mobiles in their hands to shoot video while another managed to swim to safety

Three youths drowned into a swollen Budhi Gandak river near Sangam ghat in Bihar’s Muzaffarpur district on Wednesday after they jumped into it reportedly in an attempt to shoot video on social media app Tiktok.

The logo of TikTok app seen on a mobile phone screen (Reuters File)

More than 20 people have died in different parts of the state in floods due to rivers breaching safety embankments.

According to Ravindra Kumar, sub-inspector of Ahiyapur police station, three youths jumped into the river holding mobiles in their hands to shoot video while another managed to swim to safety.

The three who drowned have been identified as Prince Kumar, Ayushman and Piyush Kumar, all natives of Rahulnagar village. The one who survived the incident has been identified as Akash Kumar.

The district administration has, meanwhile, pressed the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) divers into service to fish out the bodies. “Two bodies have been recovered while search of the third is under way,” said Senior SP Manoj Kumar.

Meanwhile, according to reports from East Champaran district, more than a dozen people have lost their lives due to the drowning in surging Gandak river and different water bodies in the past one month.

The district administration in Muzaffarpur and Darbhanga has issued advisory to the people and the local police to keep surveillance on the activities of children enjoying in flood waters or entering rivers.

(With inputs from Bishnu K Jha in Darbhanga)