A passenger boat heading to a festival capsized in Bihar state, India, resulting in 13 deaths, mostly children. Six passengers were rescued, while authorities are continuing to search for additional missing persons.
On 14 October 2026, Reuters reported that a passenger boat capsized in the Ganges River near Rakopura area, Vaishali district, Bihar state, in eastern India on the evening of Tuesday, 13 October, causing 13 fatalities, mostly children, with six passengers rescued by authorities.
Warsa Singh, an administrative official in Vaishali district, said the boat was carrying around 15-20 passengers en route to a nearby village festival when it capsized. Authorities are currently investigating the cause. Meanwhile, India’s National Disaster Response Force has been deployed for rescue and search operations, supported by local villagers searching the river. Officials continue to monitor the situation closely.
Bihar Chief Minister Samrat Chaudhary announced compensation of 400,000 rupees (about 145,000 baht) to each bereaved family. Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed condolences to the families and announced an additional compensation of 200,000 rupees (approximately 72,000 baht) per family.
Source: AFP