Bihar Boat Tragedy: 13 Reportedly Dead After Vessel Overturns in Ganga

A major boat accident took place in Bihar’s Vaishali district after a boat overturned in the Ganga on the night of Tuesday, 13 October. By Wednesday morning, 13 people had reportedly died in the accident, most of them said to be children.

The incident took place near Rampur Shyamchand panchayat in the Raghopur area of Vaishali. The people on board the boat were travelling to a village across the Ganga to attend a भोज.

According to initial reports, more people than the boat’s capacity were on board when the accident occurred. The boat overturned in the river, leading to the deaths reported so far. The initial information said that several people were also missing.

After the accident, local residents, the police and the State Disaster Response Force, or SDRF, launched a rescue operation. Some people rescued from the incident were admitted to hospital. The search and rescue efforts continued as information about the accident emerged.

Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary announced an ex-gratia payment of four lakh rupees each for the families of those who died in the accident. The announcement was made after 13 deaths were reported in the boat tragedy.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi also expressed grief over the incident. He announced assistance of two lakh rupees each for the families of the deceased from the Prime Minister’s National Relief Fund. The Prime Minister also announced 50 thousand rupees for those injured in the accident.

The incident has again raised serious questions about the safety of boats used for crossing rivers. It has also brought attention to the risks of carrying more passengers than a boat’s capacity and to the availability of safety facilities such as life jackets.