Thirteen children dead after an overloaded boat capsizes on the Ganga in Bihar's Vaishali
A boat carrying children capsized in the Ganga near Raghopur in Bihar's Vaishali district on Tuesday. Mint first reported 11 dead and about 20 missing, and Hindustan Times later put the toll at 13, with the state administration launching a probe. Police say the boat had a hole and was overloaded (The Hindu). Dainik Bhaskar reports more than 20 children were aboard a small boat on their way to a feast. The Prime Minister announced ₹2 lakh, about $2,100, for the families of the dead (The News Mill), and President Murmu also expressed grief. Chirag Paswan raised a question about negligence in the state's NDA government (Navbharat Times).
Police say the boat had a hole and was overloaded, which turns the question to who checks boats and their loads at river crossings in Bihar. A toll of this size among children makes that question urgent.
If you cross a river by a small boat, insist on life jackets and do not board an overcrowded one. Families in Vaishali should look to the district administration for relief.
Watch the probe's findings on the hole and the load, and whether anyone is held responsible. The figure of missing children has not been reconciled across reports.
DailyDrop India edition No. 11 · Morning · THU., OCT. 15, 2026