Patna: Thirteen people, mostly children, drowned after a boat carrying at least 24 people capsized in the Ganga in Rampur Shyamchand panchayat under Raghopur police station area in Vaishali district on Tuesday night. Four people were still missing, while seven rescued people were referred to local sadar hospital for treatment.The villagers were travelling in a small boat to attend a feast at the house of one Singheshwar Rai near Mata Maharani Sthan in Bhagtan Tola when it sank midstream around 8.30pm.Local residents rushed to the spot and launched rescue efforts. The victims were pulled out of the water and taken to the primary health centre at Raghopur Fatehpur. The incident triggered panic in the area, with distraught family members gathering at the hospital.The victims included Pinky Kumari (13), daughter of Doman Rai; Ankita Kumari (6) and Sunita Kumari, daughters of Raj Kishore Rai; Aryan Kumar, son of Girdhari Rai; Alisha Kumari (18) and Siki Kumari, daughters of Suresh Rai; Bhonu Kumari, daughter of Rampravesh Rai; Meera Kumari, daughter of Lalu Rai; and Naman Kumar (10), son of Mukesh Rai. All were residents of Rampur Shyamchand village. The identities of the remaining deceased were yet to be confirmed, police said.Vaishali SP Shubhank Mishra, who rushed to the spot, said, “Thirteen people have died, three to four are still missing, and seven rescued people are undergoing treatment.”CM Samrat Choudhary expressed deep grief over the deaths, describing the incident as heartbreaking. He conveyed his condolences to the bereaved families and announced an ex gratia payment of Rs 4 lakh to the family of each deceased person. He also asked officials to expedite rescue operations and ensure proper treatment for the injured.An SDRF team and local divers launched the rescue operation after receiving information about the incident. SDPO Subodh Kumar, the Raghopur SHO and the SDO reached the area to oversee the response.Raghopur MLA and leader of opposition in state assembly, Tejashwi Prasad Yadav, expressed grief over the incident on social media. He said he had spoken to locals and officials, urging them to expedite rescue and treatment efforts.
