At least 13 people drowned after a boat carrying more than 20 people capsized in Bihar’s Vaishali district late Tuesday evening.
बिहार: ग्रामीण बोले- जर्जर नाव की शिकायत के बावजूद प्रशासन ने नहीं की कार्रवाई, नाव पलटने से 13 बच्चों की मौत
At least 13 people drowned after a boat carrying over 20 passengers capsized in Bihar’s Vaishali district late Tuesday evening, officials said. Most of the victims were children. Tejashwi Yadav, the Leader of the Opposition in the Bihar Legislative Assembly and MLA from the Raghopur constituency, claimed that around 30 people were on board and that 14 deaths had been confirmed in the accident.
Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader Yadav, speaking in a video statement issued from Delhi, said he was in the capital to participate in protests against the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of the electoral rolls. “I spoke to the local administration and was informed that 14 bodies have been recovered. About 30 people were on the boat,” he said.
However, the Vaishali District Magistrate stated, “Thirteen people died and six were rescued after the boat capsized in the Ganges River in Raghopur.” She added that the rescue operation is ongoing.
Chandan Kumar Kushwaha, Deputy Inspector General (DIG) of the Tirhut Range, said that four people were rescued with the help of divers. Relief and rescue operations are continuing with the assistance of local police and the State Disaster Management Force.
“Upon receiving the information, I traveled from the divisional headquarters in Muzaffarpur to the accident site,” Kushwaha said over the phone. “The rescue operation is proceeding under the supervision of Vaishali District Magistrate Varsha Singh and Superintendent of Police Shubhankar Mishra. So far, 12 bodies have been recovered and four people rescued. The operation is still underway.”
Chief Minister Samrat Chaudhary expressed deep grief over the loss of “innocent lives” in the accident in a post on the social media platform ‘X’. He also announced an ex-gratia payment of ₹4 lakh each to the next of kin of the deceased. Meanwhile, a wave of grief swept through Rampur Shyamchand village following the tragedy. Most of the people on the boat were residents of this village. According to eyewitnesses, they were on their way to attend a feast in a nearby village.
Prime Minister Modi has expressed grief over the boat accident and announced financial assistance for the families of the victims. The Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) stated that an ex-gratia payment of ₹2 lakh each would be provided from the Prime Minister’s National Relief Fund (PMNRF) to the next of kin of those who lost their lives, while the injured would receive financial assistance of ₹50,000 each. In a post on his official ‘X’ handle, Prime Minister Narendra Modi described the deaths resulting from the boat capsizing in Vaishali as extremely tragic and painful.
According to reports, 15 to 20 children were travelling on a small boat to attend the feast. The boat lost its balance and capsized, causing the children on board to drown in the Ganges River. Thirteen bodies have been recovered so far during a rescue operation conducted with the help of locals and the administration. The deceased have been identified as Meera Kumari, Nishu Kumari, Anisha Kumari, Sunita Kumari, Aryan Kumar, Mohan Kumar, Amrita Kumari, Ankita Kumari, Pinky Kumari, Naman Kumar, Siki Kumari, Bhonu Kumari, and Sonam Kumari. A pall of gloom has descended on the entire area following the tragedy.
The families of the deceased children are inconsolable, while the administration is engaged in relief and rescue operations. Leaders from various political parties have also expressed grief over the incident and conveyed their condolences to the affected families.
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