Bhagalpur, Sept. 11 -- Five people, including four children, drowned after falling into water-filled ditches in Koyli Khutaha village of Bihar's Bhagalpur district, local officials and residents said on Friday.

The incident occurred amid heavy rainfall and rising water levels in several parts of the state, with flooding reported across multiple districts in recent days.

Devendra Kumar, Mukhiya of the Gram Panchayat, confirmed the deaths and said the victims included one woman and four children. He said three of the children belonged to the same family.

"We received information that four children and one woman lost their lives. Some of the victims had farmland in the area," Kumar said.

"We have not witnessed this ourselves, but it is a...