Daijiworld Media Network - Patna
Patna, Oct 14: Thirteen children aged 15 or below died after a boat carrying around 20 children capsized in Bihar’s Vaishali district on Tuesday evening, District Magistrate Varsha Singh said.
The incident occurred around 8.30 pm when the children were travelling to attend a feast in a neighbouring village. The boat capsized during the journey, prompting a rescue operation involving the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) and local divers.
According to Singh, seven people had been rescued and taken to NMCH, where their condition was reported to be stable. She described the incident as tragic and confirmed that all 13 victims declared dead were aged 15 or below.
Rescue operations continued as authorities worked to determine whether anyone else was missing. Further details about the circumstances leading to the incident were awaited.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed grief over the loss of lives and announced financial assistance for the affected families. An ex-gratia payment of Rs 2 lakh from the Prime Minister’s National Relief Fund (PMNRF) will be provided to the next of kin of each deceased person, while those injured will receive Rs 50,000.
In a post shared by the Prime Minister’s Office on X, Modi conveyed his condolences to the bereaved families and prayed for the speedy recovery of the injured. He also said the local administration was assisting those affected by the tragedy.
Bihar Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary also announced an ex-gratia payment of Rs 4 lakh each to the families of the deceased.