Thirteen children die in boat accident on the Ganges River

Thirteen children, all under the age of 15, lost their lives on Tuesday evening when their boat capsized in the Ganges River in the Vaishali district of Bihar state, eastern India. The victims were traveling to attend a local festival when the incident occurred near Rampur Shyamchand village in the Raghopur block. Some reports suggest the vessel may have split apart while carrying passengers.

Local official Varsha Singh confirmed the death toll, while police spokesperson Subodh Kumar reported to Reuters that six people were rescued from the water. Authorities have launched an extensive search and rescue operation, led by the State Disaster Response Force, to locate any potential survivors. However, the exact total number of passengers remains unconfirmed, leading to ongoing uncertainty regarding the scale of the tragedy.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed his condolences to the grieving families and wished the injured a speedy recovery through a message on the X platform. Investigations into the cause of the capsizing are ongoing as emergency teams continue their efforts in the area.