Man Dies in Bihar After Allegedly Struck by Air-Dropped Relief Packet During Flood Operations; Police Await Autopsy Amid Conflicting Accounts

A 58-year-old man, Anil Kumar Singh, died on the afternoon of October 2, 2026, in Parshurampur village, Amnour police station area, Saran district, Bihar, after allegedly being struck by a relief packet dropped from an Indian Air Force helicopter during flood relief operations, according to police officials cited by The Print, PTI, and SSB Crack. The incident occurred around 3:30 pm near a relief camp where residents displaced by Gandak river floods had gathered for dry rations. Marhaura Sub-divisional Police Officer Savindra Kumar Das stated that prima facie it appeared a relief packet hit Singh on the head, causing his death, though the exact cause would be ascertained only after the autopsy report. However, Amnour Station House Officer Vimlesh Kumar said no injury marks were found on the head or body, and villagers gave conflicting accounts—some alleging the packet struck him, others suggesting he may have suffered a heart attack. The body was sent to Sadar Hospital, Chhapra, for post-mortem, and police have registered a case and are investigating. The Indian Air Force conducted sorties on October 2, air-dropping 10 tonnes of essential relief material to flood-affected areas in Saran district, according to Latestly and other sources citing IAF statements. Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary ordered the operation after the Saran administration sought additional rations for areas cut off by road, SSB Crack reported.

The absence of visible injury marks complicates attribution, and police await autopsy results to determine the cause of death amid conflicting witness accounts. The incident highlights operational risks in aerial relief drops when recipients gather in confined drop zones during emergency flood response.

Sources

The Print, Flood-affected Bihar man 'hit by air-dropped relief material', dies, October 3, 2026, theprint.in SSB Crack, Man Dies During IAF Flood Relief Airdrop in Bihar; Villagers Say Packet Hit Him, Police Await Post-Mortem, October 3, 2026, ssbcrack.com Latestly, IAF Mi-17 V5 Helicopters Deliver 10 Tonnes of Relief Material to Flood-hit Bihar, October 3, 2026, latestly.com Patna Press, Saran Flood Relief Supplies Air-Dropped By Indian Air Force, October 3, 2026, patnapress.com Wikipedia, Samrat Choudhary, accessed October 3, 2026, en.wikipedia.org