Vaishali boat capsize in Ganga leaves up to 13 dead, rescue operations underway in Bihar

At least 11 people, most of them children and teenagers, have died after a boat capsized in the Ganga river in Bihar's Vaishali district on Tuesday night.

The vessel was ferrying villagers across the river to attend a community feast in Bhagatan Tola when it lost balance and overturned midstream near Rampur Shyamchand panchayat, under the Raghopur police station area, at around 8.30 pm.

Swift rescue operations launched on the Ganga

Emergency teams, including the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) and local divers, were deployed immediately to trace the missing and pull survivors from the water. National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) personnel also joined the search as operations continued into the night despite difficult river currents and poor visibility.

Seven people, including the boat operator, were pulled out alive and taken to the primary health centre at Raghopur Fatehpur, with several later referred to Patna for specialist medical care.

Vaishali Superintendent of Police Shubhank Mishra said 13 bodies had been fished out by late evening, while three to four people remained unaccounted for. Vaishali District Magistrate Varsha Singh earlier confirmed that 11 to 13 passengers had died, noting that the boat was carrying between 15 and 30 people when it overturned. District authorities have launched an inquiry into the incident, noting that commercial boat movements during night hours are strictly restricted.

Police identified several of the deceased from Rampur Shyamchand village, including Pinky Kumari, 13; Ankita Kumari, 6; Sunita Kumari; Aryan Kumar; Alisha Kumari, 18; Siki Kumari; Bhonu Kumari; Meera Kumari; and Naman Kumar, 10. The identities of the remaining victims are being verified by local officials.

Central and state relief mobilized

The administration moved quickly to provide medical attention and financial relief to the grieving families. Bihar Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary directed district officials to expedite rescue work and ensure top-quality medical care for all survivors, announcing an ex-gratia payment of ₹4 lakh each from the state government for the next of kin of the deceased.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed deep grief over the tragedy and approved financial assistance from the Prime Minister's National Relief Fund (PMNRF). Under the central relief package, ₹2 lakh will be provided to the next of kin of each deceased victim, alongside ₹50,000 for each person injured.

Local representatives, including Raghopur MLA Tejashwi Yadav, also expressed sorrow over the loss of young lives and remained in contact with disaster management authorities as search operations continued along the riverbank.