Thirteen dead after overcrowded boat capsizes in Bihar's Vaishali

At least thirteen people, mostly children, died on Tuesday night after an overcrowded country boat capsized in the Ganga river within the Raghopur police station jurisdiction of Bihar's Vaishali district. The vessel overturned midstream around 8:30 pm near Rampur Shyamchand village while ferrying villagers who were travelling to attend a local feast.

The disaster highlights persistent safety concerns regarding river transport in rural Bihar, where villagers frequently rely on small, unregulated watercraft to cross swollen waterways for social gatherings. Local administration figures indicated that the vessel was carrying between fifteen and twenty passengers, significantly exceeding safe capacity limits before it lost balance and overturned in deep water.

Vaishali District Magistrate Varsha Singh confirmed that rescue personnel from the State Disaster Response Force, alongside local divers, were deployed immediately to scour the river. Seven survivors were pulled from the current and admitted to medical facilities for treatment, while search operations extended through the night to account for several individuals still reported missing.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed anguish over the tragedy and announced an ex-gratia payment of ₹2 lakh from the Prime Minister's National Relief Fund for the next of kin of each deceased, alongside ₹50,000 for those injured. Bihar Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary also conveyed condolences and declared separate state financial assistance of ₹4 lakh for each bereaved family, directing district officials to expedite relief efforts and medical care.

Local authorities have initiated an inquiry into the circumstances surrounding the accident, focusing on adherence to passenger limits and restrictions on night-time boat operations along the river. Police stated that formal identification procedures for several of the recovered victims are currently underway at the district medical centre.