Bihar Boat Tragedy: 13 Children Die In Vaishali, President Grieves

(MENAFN- AsiaNet News)

Tragedy in Bihar as Boat Capsizes

President Droupadi Murmu on Wednesday expressed grief over the deaths of 13 children in a boat capsizing incident in Bihar's Vaishali district, as rescue operations continued in the Ganga River following the tragedy.

At least 13 children aged 15 years or below died after an overcrowded boat carrying around 20 children capsized near Rampur Shyamchand village in the Raghopur constituency at around 8:30 pm on Tuesday. The children were travelling to attend a feast in a neighbouring village.

In a post on X, the President of India wrote, "The news of the deaths of children in the boat accident in Bihar's Vaishali district is deeply tragic. I express my heartfelt condolences to the bereaved families. I wish a speedy recovery to those injured in this accident."

The State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) has launched a search and rescue operation in the Ganga River following the incident. According to Vaishali District Magistrate Varsha Singh, seven people were rescued and taken to Nalanda Medical College and Hospital (NMCH), where their condition was stable.

PM Modi Announces Ex-Gratia

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed grief over the loss of lives and announced an ex-gratia of Rs 2 lakh from the Prime Minister's National Relief Fund (PMNRF) for the next of kin of each deceased. The injured will receive financial assistance of Rs 50,000 each.

In an X post shared by the Prime Minister's Office (PMO), PM Modi said, "The loss of lives in the boat capsizing incident in Vaishali, Bihar, is deeply painful. My thoughts are with the bereaved families in this difficult time. I pray for the speedy recovery of all those injured. The local administration is assisting those affected."

The PMO added, "An ex-gratia of Rs. 2 lakh from PMNRF would be given to the next of kin of each of those who lost their lives. The injured would be given Rs. 50,000."

Bihar Minister Visits Hospital

While speaking to ANI, Bihar Minister Sanjay Kumar Singh visited NMCH on Wednesday to meet the families of the victims affected by the accident. Describing the incident as deeply tragic, Singh said the children had been travelling by boat to attend a feast near their homes when the vessel capsized. He said the victims included elderly people and young people, but the sight of the injured children was particularly distressing.

"A deeply tragic incident has occurred in Raghopur. Seeing these innocent, small children, who were simply traveling by boat to have a meal near their homes, is heartbreaking. The boat capsized, and the victims include both the elderly and the youth; however, the most distressing sight is that of the small children lying unconscious. Having visited the site and assessed the situation, I have been informed by the doctors that everyone is currently out of danger. There are no complications, and they are expected to recover very soon," he said.

The minister said he had directed that medical teams remain on duty throughout the night and that officials continue to monitor the situation. He also instructed the administration to ensure that the families of the victims received food and refreshments and faced no inconvenience.

"I have directed that a medical team remain on duty throughout the night. A team of officials is also present and will remain constantly engaged to ensure there are no issues. I have also instructed that arrangements be made for the food and refreshments of the family members; the administration and the government must ensure there is absolutely no inconvenience or lack of support," Singh said.

Eyewitness Account and Rescue Efforts

Ravi Yadav, who helped rescue several people, told ANI the incident occurred in Ward No. 8 of Rampur Shyamchand Panchayat in Raghopur block. He said a 'Shradh' feast was being held in a nearby village and the children were travelling by boat to attend it when the vessel gave way and sank in the middle of the river current.

"This incident occurred in Ward No. 8 of Rampur Shyamchand Panchayat in Raghopur Block. A 'Shradh' feast was being held in a nearby village, and children were on their way to attend it. While crossing the river by boat, the vessel gave way and sank in the middle of the current. We were all present there. Everyone was rescued with the help of the villagers; we tried our absolute best, but despite our efforts, not everyone could be saved-only two or three survived. It is deeply regrettable," Yadav said.

Allegations of Negligence

He alleged that the administration arrived about an hour after being informed and that adequate medical facilities were not available at the hospital.

"The administration was informed, but they arrived an hour later... When we went to the hospital, we found no proper medical arrangements or facilities," he said.

Yadav further alleged that Raghopur Circle Officer Deepak Kumar had previously been informed about the dilapidated condition of the boat but had taken no action.

"The Circle Officer (CO) of Raghopur, Deepak Kumar, had previously been informed about the dilapidated condition of the boat, yet he took no action... That is why such a major tragedy occurred," he alleged.

Describing the rescue efforts, Yadav said villagers used traditional cots, locally known as 'khatiyas', and ropes to pull people out of the river before taking them to the hospital.

"We managed to rescue everyone using 'khatiyas' (traditional cots) and ropes to pull them out before taking them to the hospital," he said.

CM Announces Compensation

Bihar Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary also announced assistance of Rs 4 lakh each for the families of the deceased.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by Asianetnews Editorial staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

MENAFN13102026007385015968ID1111804745