The Bihar government on Friday suspended Raghopur Circle Officer Deepak Kumar from his post following the deaths of 14 children in a boat capsize in the Ganga river in Vaishali district on October 13.
The action was ordered by Vaishali District Magistrate Varsha Singh on October 15, after the administration had earlier withheld the salaries of Kumar and the local station house officer (SHO) and sought explanations from both officials in connection with the tragedy.
Following Kumar’s removal, Patepur Circle Officer Prabhat Kumar has been given additional charge of the Raghopur circle to ensure that administrative work continues without disruption.
The tragedy occurred around 8.30 pm when the victims, all below 15 years of age and 13 of them belonging to the same family, were crossing the river with other residents to attend a feast in a village on the opposite bank.
According to officials, the boat was carrying around 15 to 20 people, although the exact number of passengers was not immediately known. Rescue operations were launched with local divers and the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF).
Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary condoled the deaths and announced an ex gratia payment of Rs 4 lakh to the family of each deceased child.
In a post on X, the Chief Minister said, "The news of the deaths of innocent lives in the boat accident at Raghopur in Vaishali is extremely sad and heart-wrenching. My deepest condolences go out to the bereaved families during this difficult time. May God grant peace to the departed souls and give the families the strength to bear this immense grief".
Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader Tejashwi Yadav, who represents the Raghopur Assembly constituency, said he had spoken to the district administration and been briefed about the incident. He said he had urged officials to speed up rescue operations and would visit the bereaved families after returning from Delhi.
In a post on X in Hindi, Yadav said, "Distressing news has been received regarding a boat capsize in the Raghopur Diara area. Most of those who drowned are children. May God keep everyone safe".
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