At least 46 people, including 37 children and seven women, drowned in rivers and lakes during a Hindu religious festival in eastern India.
In the last 24 hours, deaths were confirmed in 15 districts.
A disaster management official said they died while taking a ritual bath in rivers and lakes swollen by recent floods, the BBC reports.
The three-day Jivitputrika festival celebrates the well-being of children every year. During the festival mothers fast for the welfare of their children.
The authorities are warning of the phenomenon that many people are ignoring the increased water level of the rivers, and it is feared that the death toll could rise.
