‘Deeply Tragic’: President Murmu, PM Modi Mourn 13 Children Killed in Bihar Boat Tragedy

Thirteen children aged 15 or younger died when a boat carrying them to a feast capsized in the Ganga in Bihar’s Vaishali district on Tuesday night, officials said. Seven people were rescued and taken to hospital, where their condition was stable.

The boat, carrying around 20 children, sank near Rampur Shyamchand village in Raghopur at about 8.30 pm. They were travelling to a neighbouring village for a ‘Shradh’ feast.

“An SDRF team is present here, and rescue operations are being conducted with the help of local divers. A total of 13 children have been found dead; all those declared dead are aged 15 or younger,” District Magistrate Varsha Singh said.

Search teams continued working to establish whether anyone else was missing.

VILLAGERS USED COTS AND ROPES TO RESCUE PASSENGERS

Ravi Yadav, a local resident who helped with the rescue, said the boat gave way in the river current while the children were crossing.

Villagers used ropes and traditional cots, locally known as khatiyas, to pull passengers from the water before taking them to hospital, he told ANI.

Yadav alleged that officials reached the location about an hour after being informed and that adequate medical arrangements were not available when survivors were brought to hospital.

He also claimed that Raghopur Circle Officer Deepak Kumar had previously been alerted to the boat’s dilapidated condition but had failed to act.

“The Circle Officer (CO) of Raghopur, Deepak Kumar, had previously been informed about the dilapidated condition of the boat, yet he took no action,” Yadav alleged.

The cause of the capsize has not been established in the official account.

SEVEN RESCUED, CONDITION STABLE

The district magistrate said seven rescued people were taken to Nalanda Medical College and Hospital, where they were in a stable condition.

Bihar Minister Sanjay Kumar Singh visited the hospital on Wednesday and met affected families. He said doctors had informed him that those receiving treatment were out of danger and expected to recover.

The minister said medical teams had been instructed to remain on duty throughout the night, with officials monitoring the situation. He also directed the administration to arrange food and refreshments for relatives at the hospital.

MURMU, MODI EXPRESS GRIEF

President Droupadi Murmu described the deaths as “deeply tragic” and offered condolences to the bereaved families.

“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,” she wrote on X.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi also expressed grief, saying the local administration was assisting those affected.

“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,” he said in a statement shared by the Prime Minister’s Office.

The Centre announced assistance of ₹2 lakh from the Prime Minister’s National Relief Fund for the next of kin of each person killed and ₹50,000 for each injured person.

Bihar Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary separately announced ₹4 lakh for each bereaved family.

With inputs from ANI