PATNA: At least 11 people, including children, were killed after a country boat carrying 15-20 people capsized in the Ganga near Raghopur in Bihar’s Vaishali district on Tuesday night.
The accident occurred around 8 pm near Rampur Shyamchand village, when the passengers were crossing the river to attend a post-funeral feast. Most of the victims were young people and children, according to the police.
Locals said the boat lost control and capsized midstream due to overcrowding.
On receiving information, Vaishali District Magistrate Varsha Singh dispatched ambulances and State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) teams to the site to carry out rescue operations. Personnel from Raghopur police station also reached the spot and assisted the administration.
With the help of police personnel and local divers, the bodies of 10 people were reportedly retrieved from the swollen river. The bodies were taken to a government hospital for post-mortem examination. Efforts were underway to establish the identities of the deceased.
Meanwhile, five seriously injured people were referred to Patna Medical College and Hospital (PMCH) for treatment.
The district administration assured the affected families of all possible assistance.
Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary condoled the loss of lives and announced an ex gratia payment of Rs 4 lakh to the next of kin of each deceased person.
“The news of the innocent lives lost in the boat accident in Raghoopur, Vaishali, is extremely heartbreaking and soul-wrenching. In this difficult time, my deepest condolences are with the bereaved families. May God grant peace to the departed souls and provide the families with the strength to bear this immense sorrow,” Choudhary wrote in a post on X.
RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav, who represents Raghopur in the state Assembly, also expressed concern over the incident in a post on X.
“Most of those who drowned are children. Have urged the local administration to expedite rescue and relief operations,” he wrote.
Earlier, on September 8, one person died and another went missing after a boat carrying 11 people capsized in the Ganga near Terasia Diara in Vaishali district. Nine people were rescued safely, with some managing to swim ashore. The deceased was identified as Chandan Kumar.
