The pin-sharp image of an infant boy lying lifeless on the river bed in the Indian state of Bihar has evoked a sense of shock, horror and grief among people. Some of them likened it to the Syrian child Alan Kurdi, who was found lying face-down in the Mediterranean in 2015.
A video (WARNING! this video is graphic and may offend sensitive viewers) from the Muzaffarpur district of Bihar also surfaced, where a mother, Rani Devi, along with her four children were swept away by the floodwaters on Wednesday, 17 July.
The moving image that has left so many people speechless is of an infant named Arjun, who was found after getting stuck in a man's fishing net.
The video shows the three-month-old boy lying lifeless in a blue t-shirt and shorts, with his arms and legs in the air and a bruise on his head.
The image led to an avalanche of responses, some have criticised the government, while others expressed grief.
— Shashi Prakash (@sp_3001) July 18, 2019
— FAISAL KHAN (@FAISALKHAN_G) July 18, 2019
Reportedly, Rani Devi had gone to the Bagmati River in her village, with her four children to wash clothes. While she was busy doing laundry, her three-month-old son Arjun was swept away by the fast-moving waters.
In an attempt to save the child, Rani and her three other children jumped into the water. Locals rushed to rescue the family but were only able to retrieve the mother and her daughter Radha. Her three other children, Arjun, Raja, and Jyoti were carried away.
The flood-hit State has already recorded 67 deaths, and over four million people have been displaced.
