New Delhi, September 18: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday expressed grief over the loss of lives in a drowning incident in Jharkhand. Seven girls aged between 12 and 20 years drowned in a pond at a village in Jharkhand's Latehar district on Saturday during 'Karma Puja' festivities, a senior official said.

Modi said, "Shocked by the loss of young lives due to drowning in Latehar district, Jharkhand. In this hour of sadness, condolences to the bereaved families." Jharkhand Tragedy: PM Narendra Modi Expresses Condolences to Families of 7 Girls Who Drowned in Pond During ‘Karma Puja’ Immersion.

The tragedy occurred at Bukru village under Shregada within Balumath police station limits when the girls had gone to the pond for the immersion after Karma Puja, a major festival in Jharkhand.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)