Bihar: 69 devotees rescued from hilly river near Nepal border

A joint team of the 21st battalion of the Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB) and Nepal’s armed police force (APF) rescued 69 devotees, including women and children, after they got trapped in a hilly river following a sudden rise in water levels near Valmikinagar on the Indo-Nepal border in West Champaran district, officials said on Monday.

According to an official statement, the SSB battalion said the devotees, which included 31 men, 29 women and nine children, were trapped in the hilly river of Tamasha during their return from Valmiki Ashram in Nepal near Jatashankar temple around 6pm.

“Hearing the screech and cries of the devotees, the security personnel from both Indian and Nepal side rushed and rescued the devotees by forming a human chain,” the SSB said.

“While six devotees were from Gopalganj, 40 were from Sahidara in Narkatiaganj and four were from Maharajganj in Uttar Pradesh…16 others were from Motihari,” the statement further said.