13 children die after overloaded boat capsizes in India

On October 11, 2026, a boat carrying children capsized on India’s Ganges river in Vaishali district, eastern Bihar state, during their journey to a Hindu festival. The accident occurred late at night when the boat, which was overloaded, turned over, leading locals to use mobile phones and torches to search for survivors in the dark. Thirteen children drowned while only three were rescued from the water that night. Six people, including two critically injured children, survived the incident but four of them later died at a hospital, bringing the total death toll to 13 children. Villagers reported that the boat was small and not well-maintained, making it unsuitable for such large numbers of passengers. Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed grief over what he called a “deeply painful tragedy.”