Five people, including four girls and a woman, drowned in a pond during Karma Puja celebrations at Datraula village in Bihar’s Nawada district on Wednesday.The incident took place at Datraula village under the jurisdiction of Pakribarawan police station.Victims slipped into the pond during the festivities, Deputy SP (Headquarters) Nishu Mallick told PTI. “Four girls, aged between 12 and 19 years, and a woman drowned in the pond during ‘Karma Puja’ festivities. Officials of the district administration and the local police reached the spot, and a rescue operation was launched with the help of divers”, he said.“The divers fished out the bodies, which have been sent for post-mortem examination. Further formalities are being completed,” Mallick added.Earlier in the day, Prime Minister Narendra Modi today wished all fellow countrymen, especially the tribal community on the occasion of Karma Puja. “In this festival, which symbolizes the unbreakable love between brother and sister, the worship of nature also holds special significance”, he wrote on X. Karma Puja, widely celebrated in Bihar, Jharkhand and neighbouring states, is observed as a festival of fertility and prosperity.