10 minors dead, at least 20 missing after boat capsizes in Bihar’s Raghopur

At least 11 people, all minors under the age of 18, have died and several others are missing after a boat capsized in the Ganga near Rampur Shyamchand village in Bihar’s Vaishali district on Tuesday evening.

Vaishali District Magistrate Varsha Singh said seven people had been rescued, including the boat owner, and that rescue operations would continue through the night.

“According to the information we have so far, there were around 15 to 20 people on the boat. Of them, 11, all minors aged around 15, have died. Seven people, including the boat owner, have been rescued. We are carrying out rescue operations, which will continue throughout the night,” Singh said.

Initial reports suggested that around 25 to 30 people were aboard the medium-sized boat, most of them travelling to attend a feast organised as part of Hindu funeral rituals.

The boat was “ferrying passengers from one hamlet to another along the river” when it overturned, a senior police official told HT. Officials said the vessel capsized after becoming unbalanced, while some passengers managed to swim to safety. Locals who witnessed the incident rushed to help and alerted the administration.

Several children were taken to a primary health centre by locals, where a doctor examined them and declared them dead. Their families were inconsolable, with relatives breaking down in tears.

Singh said the boat was owned by a local resident who had used it to ferry villagers to a feast in a nearby village. “The boat owner has claimed there were 15 to 20 people on board. We are still verifying the facts,” she said.

The district magistrate added that boat operations at night were restricted and that the incident would be investigated.

Teams from the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) and the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) are searching the river for the missing passengers. Darkness and the depth of the water have hampered rescue efforts.

Opposition leader Tejashwi Yadav in his official X handle described the incident as tragic and unfortunate. He wrote " tragic and unfortunate news has been received of a boat capsizing in the Raghopur Diara area. Most of those who drowned were children. May God keep everyone safe. A directive has been issued to coordinate with local people, the administration and officials to speed up relief, rescue and treatment operations". Yadav's represents the Raghopur assembly constituency, one of the riverine areas in Vaishali district.

The passengers, all residents of Bind Toli in Masoomganj under Patna district’s Barh police station area, had travelled to Sultanpur Diara for agricultural work. They were returning to Umanath Ghat with vegetables harvested from parwal fields when the boat overturned.

Mohiuddin Nagar circle officer Brijesh Kumar Dwivedi confirmed three deaths, saying the deceased included two men and one woman. Officials have established the identities of all three victims.

The Patna district administration said the boat departed from Bind Toli around 5.45 am with 14 people on board. The passengers regularly crossed the river to work in agricultural fields. An initial update from the administration said seven people had been rescued, two bodies recovered and five passengers were missing.

Officials cited strong winds as a possible cause of the accident, while Barh sub-divisional officer Garima Lohiya said the boat’s engine failed midstream. Rescue teams from the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), along with the Patna and Samastipur district administrations, took part in the operation.

As news of the accident spread, local residents and relatives gathered at Umanath Ghat. Authorities continued the search for the missing passengers and carried out procedures related to the recovered bodies.

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