Write Comment     |     E-Mail To a Friend     |     Facebook     |     Twitter     |     Print

At least 14 students and two teachers die as boat overturns in lake near Vadodara

At least 14 students and two teachers died after a boat carrying them overturned in a lake on the outskirts of Vadodara city in Gujarat on January 18, officials said. There were at least 27 students in the boat, Vadodara district collector A.B. Gor had said.

A search operation was under way to trace the remaining students at the Harni lake, where the incident happened, they said.

President Draupadi Murmu has offered condolences to the berieved families.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi tweeted, “Distressed by the loss of lives due to a boat capsizing at the Harni lake in Vadodara. An ex-gratia of ₹2 lakh from PMNRF would be given to the next of kin of each deceased. The injured would be given ₹50,000.“

Gujarat’s Minister for Home and guardian Minister of Vadodara Harsh Sanghvi has rushed to Vadodara. Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel has left for Vadodara.

Gujarat Education Minister Kuber Dindor said, “I have just learnt that six children died after a boat carrying school students overturned in a lake.” “Rescue operations are underway. The National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and the fire brigade personnel are on the job along with other agencies,” he said.

Vadodara district collector A.B. Gor said there were 27 children on the boat. “We are trying to trace and rescue others,” he said.

“A boat carrying school students, who came here on a picnic, overturned in Harni lake in the afternoon. The fire brigade has so far rescued seven students, while search is on for the missing ones,” Vadodara’s chief fire officer Parth Brahmbhatt said.

Few local residents rescued some children before the fire brigade personnel reached the spot, he said.

Expressing grief over the death of students and teachers, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge asked the State government to make every effort to save those missing after the accident.

“Many students are still reported missing in this accident. Gujarat government and administration are requested to expedite the relief and rescue operations and make every possible effort to save the lives of the students,” he said in a post in Hindi on X.