The boat, which capsized, killing 13 minors in the Ganga in Bihar’s Vaishali district on Tuesday (October 13), was dilapidated with a hole in the deck and was overloaded, police said on Wednesday (October 14, 2026).

Vaishali police said the country-made boat could barely carry five people and had sailed after sunset, violating the rules. They said water had entered through the hole.

The Vaishali district administration issued showcause notices to the circle officer and station house officer of Raghopur. Patna and Bhagalpur district authorities sounded alerts over plying of boats in the Ganga.

Vaishali District Magistrate, Varsha Singh, said, “Action will be taken against the boat owner, the operator, and everyone involved, including the officials responsible for monitoring the situation. It was a private boat.”

“It is the responsibility of the circle officer and the station house officer to prevent such activities by remaining alert and utilising their administrative machinery,” she added.

Authorities called off the search operation even as people at Rampur Shyamchand village in Raghopur, around 40km from the State’s capital, mourned the deaths. Political leaders and Ministers visited the village and met the family members of the deceased. The children, nine girls and four boys, were on their way to a memorial function.

Union Minister Chirag Paswan, who met the families, said, “If negligence had happened at any level, action will be taken.”

Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Bijendra Prasad Yadav and State Cooperative Minister Ram Kripal Yadav visited the incident site on the instructions of Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary and spoke to the family members.

Health Minister Nishant Kumar visited Nalanda Medical College and Hospital and met the injured. He called the incident “tragic”, adding that six people are undergoing treatment at the hospital. The Minister said an inquiry committee has been formed to investigate the incident.

Raghopur MLA and Leader of the Opposition in the State, Tejashwi Yadav, met the bereaved families in the evening and demanded a high-level inquiry. His elder sister and Rashtriya Janata Dal MP Misa Bharti also met the families.

Ms. Singh handed over cheques of ₹4 lakh, the ex gratia amount announced by the Chief Minister, to each family. No postmortem examination was done on the dead bodies at the request of family members.

At least 13 children died after a boat capsized in the Ganga River in Vaishali district of Bihar, under Raghopur police station area on Tuesday (October 13, 2026) night.

The boat was ferrying villagers to another village, where they were to attend a feast. According to locals, the feast had been organised at the home of a person named Singheshwar Rai, near the Mata Maharani Sthan in Bhagtan Tola (Rampur Shyamchand Panchayat), and around 20 people were travelling on a small boat.

According to Vaishali District Magistrate Varsha Singh, seven people have been rescued and referred to Nalanda Medical College and Hospital (NMCH). She added that all the children on the boat were aged 15 or younger.

“The rescue operation will continue throughout the night. The SDRF team and local divers are also on site. So far, 13 dead bodies have been recovered,” she said.

Some of the rescued have been referred for better treatment to Patna.

When Varsha Singh reached the local hospital to check on the situation, she was met by angry locals, who shouted slogans against the district administration.

PM Modi, Bihar CM announce ex-gratia

Bihar Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary expressed grief over the incident in a post on X. He also announced ex-gratia for the family members of the deceased.

“The news of the innocent lives lost in the boat accident in Raghopur, Vaishali, is extremely heartbreaking and soul-wrenching. In this difficult time, my deepest condolences are with the bereaved families. May God grant peace to the departed souls and provide the families with the strength to bear this immense sorrow,” Mr. Choudhary wrote.

He further wrote, “From the State government, an assistance of ₹4-lakh each [ex gratia amount] will be provided to the families of the deceased. Instructions have been given to the administration to swiftly complete relief and rescue operations and ensure better treatment for the injured.”

Separately, Prime Minister Narendra Modi also announced an ex-gratia of ₹2 lakh from the PMNRF to be given to the next of kin of each of those who lost their lives. The injured would be given ₹50,000

“The loss of lives in the boat capsizing incident in Vaishali, Bihar, is deeply painful. My thoughts are with the bereaved families in this difficult time. I pray for the speedy recovery of all those injured. The local administration is assisting those affected,” the Prime Minister said in a post on X.

Raghopur MLA and Leader of Opposition in Bihar Legislative Assembly Tejashwi Yadav also expressed deep grief over the incident by posting a video message on X. “I am deeply shocked by the heart-wrenching incident of the boat capsizing in Raghopur. May God grant peace to the departed souls and strength to the grieving families to bear this sorrow. At present, I am in Delhi to take part in the INDIA bloc meeting and tomorrow, as soon as I reach Patna, I will go to my constituency to meet the aggrieved family members,” Mr. Yadav said.