Mob in Rural India Kills Family Accused of Witchcraft

Police in rural India are investigating the murder of five members of the same family who were accused by a mob of witchcraft. Three people have been arrested after the attack in the eastern state of Bihar, reports CBS News. Authorities say the mob attacked the family in their home in the village of Temta late Sunday night, killing a 50-year-old man along with his wife, mother, and two of his children.

The family's 16-year-old son survived and told police that roughly 50 people stormed their home, accused his mother of witchcraft, then attacked the family with bladed weapons. The mob then set fire to the bodies. Police say tensions in the village first arose after a boy died from illness about 10 days earlier. When the boy's brother also fell ill over the weekend, villagers suspected witchcraft and targeted the family, per NDTV.

The case has drawn attention to the persistent issue of witchcraft accusations in parts of rural India, which sometimes lead to violence against those suspected. Deputy Inspector General Pramod Kumar Mandal told CBS News that police are searching for more suspects.