Jharkhand Village’s ‘Death Well’ Claims Lives of Two Schoolgirls

Masiyatu, a small settlement in Latehar’s Balumath police jurisdiction, has been shaken by a grim incident that locals now refer to as a “death well.” Following a bout of heavy rain, a previously dry pit filled rapidly with water. Two school‑going girls, Sakshi Kumari and Ritika Kumari, aged about eight, were playing nearby when they lost their footing and plunged into the pit. Rescue efforts by nearby residents proved futile, and the girls were pronounced dead at the scene. Their families, both from the Suiya Tola hamlet, are grieving, while the police continue to gather evidence and interview witnesses.