President Droupadi Murmu on Wednesday expressed grief over the deaths of at least 11 people, including eight children, after a boat capsized in the Ganga River in Bihar’s Vaishali district.
In a post on X, the President conveyed her condolences to the bereaved families and prayed for the speedy recovery of those injured in the accident.
“The news of the deaths of children in the boat accident that occurred in Vaishali district of Bihar is extremely heartbreaking. I express my deepest condolences to the grief-stricken families. I pray for the swift recovery of those injured in this accident,” Murmu said.
The incident occurred on Tuesday near Rampur Shyamchand village under the Raghopur police station area when passengers were reportedly travelling to attend a feast.
According to preliminary reports, between 15 and 20 people were on board when the boat overturned in the river, killing at least 11 people, including eight children.
Around six others were reportedly injured, while rescue teams continued searching for possible missing passengers. The exact number of people on board and the final death toll are yet to be officially confirmed.
The accident triggered panic in the area, prompting local residents and district authorities to launch rescue operations. Several passengers were rescued, while the injured were taken to medical facilities for treatment.
District police personnel and teams from the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) were deployed at the site to assist in rescue and search operations.
Vaishali District Magistrate Varsha Singh said most of those who died in the accident were minors.
Earlier, Bihar Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary expressed grief over the tragedy, describing it as heartbreaking. He extended condolences to the bereaved families and prayed for peace for the departed souls.
The Bihar government has announced ex-gratia assistance of Rs 4 lakh to the family of each deceased person.
Leader of the Opposition Tejashwi Yadav also expressed sorrow over the incident, calling it unfortunate.
In a social media post, Yadav said he had spoken to local residents, administrative officials and other authorities, urging them to expedite rescue operations and ensure timely medical treatment for the injured.
Search and rescue operations were continuing as authorities worked to ascertain the final casualty figures and determine whether any passengers remained missing.
(IANS Inputs)
