Hajipur (Bihar): 13 children died when a boat capsized in the Ganges River in Bihar’s Vaishali district on Tuesday evening. According to District Magistrate Varsha Singh, all the deceased were 15 years of age or younger. Around 15 to 20 children were on board the boat at the time of the accident, heading to a feast in a neighboring village.
The District Magistrate stated that the accident occurred around 8:30 pm on Tuesday night. A rescue operation was launched immediately after receiving information about the accident. So far, seven people have been rescued and taken to NMCH, where their condition is reported to be stable.
SDRF and local divers take charge
Varsha Singh stated that a team from the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) is present at the scene. Local divers are also being involved in the rescue operation. The bodies of 13 children have been recovered so far.
Administrative teams were investigating whether anyone else was missing. Further information related to the accident is awaited.
PM Modi expressed grief, announced ₹2 lakh for the families of the deceased
Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed deep sorrow over the boat accident in Vaishali. He announced an ex-gratia of ₹2 lakh from the Prime Minister’s National Relief Fund (PMNRF) to the families of each deceased. Those injured in the accident will receive financial assistance of ₹50,000.
In a post shared by the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) on X, the Prime Minister expressed his condolences to the bereaved families and wished the injured a speedy recovery.
The post said, “The loss of lives in the boat capsize incident in Vaishali, Bihar is deeply saddening. My condolences are with the bereaved families during this difficult time. I pray for the speedy recovery of all the injured. The local administration is providing assistance to the affected people.”
CM Samrat Chaudhary announces Rs 4 lakh assistance
Bihar Chief Minister Samrat Chaudhary has announced an ex-gratia of Rs 4 lakh per deceased for the families of the children who lost their lives in the accident.
Relief and rescue operations continued following the accident. Administration teams were gathering information about the circumstances surrounding the incident and possible missing persons.