Tragedy in Vaishali: Boat Capsizes Leaving 13 Dead, 7 Hospitalized, and Search On for Missing

VAISHALI — A festive journey turned into a devastating tragedy on Tuesday evening, October 13, 2026 when an overcrowded country boat capsized in the Ganges River in Bihar’s Vaishali district, leaving at least 13 people dead—most of them children—and seven others hospitalized. Emergency teams remain engaged in active search and rescue operations midstream to trace three to four passengers who are still missing.

The ill-fated vessel was carrying nearly 30 passengers, primarily young residents from Rampur Shyamchand village in the Raghopur area who were traveling across the river to attend a festive gathering. According to eyewitness accounts and local authorities, the boat lost balance and flipped in the strong currents due to severe overcrowding.

Panic ensued as nearby villagers rushed to aid the drowning victims before emergency teams and local police arrived on the scene. Officials confirmed that all 13 victims recovered so far were minors under the age of 15. Seven survivors pulled from the water were rushed to local and district medical centers, where several continue to undergo treatment.

Distress over the tragedy triggered swift reactions from state and national leadership, as Prime Minister Narendra Modi described the loss of young lives as "deeply painful" while announcing an ex-gratia relief of ₹2 lakh to the families of each deceased individual and ₹50,000 for the injured.

Expressing profound grief, Bihar Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary directed district officials to expedite relief efforts and ensure the best medical care for hospitalized survivors, with the state government pledging an additional financial assistance of ₹4 lakh to each bereaved family, while Raghopur MLA Tejashwi Yadav urged authorities to deploy extra diving teams and equipment to locate the missing victims promptly.

Search operations led by the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) and local divers persist along the Ganges riverbank as teams work through challenging river conditions.

Local authorities have launched a formal inquiry into the incident to inspect regulatory oversights, focusing on how the overloaded vessel was permitted to navigate the river without essential safety gear or life jackets.