Vaishali boat accident: What officials say, what an eyewitness alleges and what is unknown

What officials say: at least 13 children, aged 15 or below, died when a boat capsized in the Ganga at about 8:30 pm on October 13.

What an eyewitness alleges: the boat gave way mid-stream, its poor condition had been reported, and help arrived about an hour late. The article carried no official response.

A discrepancy: RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav said 14 died, while the official count in the reports was 13.

Relief announced: Rs 2 lakh from the Prime Minister and Rs 4 lakh from the Bihar Chief Minister for each family.

Unknown: the cause, and whether any FIR or arrests followed.

District Magistrate Varsha Singh said the accident occurred at around 8:30 pm and called it a very tragic incident, according to India TV.

The spot is in Ward No. 8 of Rampur Shyamchand panchayat in Raghopur block, according to The Daily Jagran.

The boat was carrying 15 to 20 children to a neighbouring village, according to the District Magistrate’s statement quoted by India TV.

The children were reportedly going to a feast, according to The Daily Jagran.

All those who died were aged 15 or younger, according to India TV, while some other reports mention an age as high as 16, so the reports are not fully consistent on ages.

Tejashwi Yadav, the Rashtriya Janata Dal leader and MLA from Raghopur, said 14 people had died, according to The Daily Jagran. The official count in the reports was 13.

Seven people were rescued and taken to the Nalanda Medical College and Hospital in Patna, and their condition was described as stable, according to the reports.

A team of the State Disaster Response Force worked with local divers, and the National Disaster Response Force was also deployed, according to the reports.

Villagers and local boatmen pulled people out of the water using traditional cots and ropes, according to The Daily Jagran.

River Ganges at Patna (file image), Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0