Thirteen children died after a boat capsized on the Ganges River in Vaishali district in the eastern Indian state of Bihar at around 20:30 local time on Tuesday, October 13.
Vaishali District Magistrate Varsha Singh said 13 bodies have been recovered and that all the victims were aged 15 or younger.
Seven people were rescued and brought to Nalanda Medical College and Hospital in Patna. These individuals’ condition was reported to be stable.
The boat was carrying residents of Rampur Shyamchand across the river to a feast in a village on the opposite bank when it overturned midstream in the Raghopur police station area.
Singh estimated that between 15 and 20 people were on board, though the exact number of passengers has not been established.
Tejashwi Yadav of the Rashtriya Janata Dal, who represents Raghopur in the Bihar Legislative Assembly, said he had been told that 14 bodies have been recovered.
Yadav estimated that around 30 people were on board.
Local divers and a team from Bihar's State Disaster Response Force took part in the subsequent search and rescue/retrieval operation.
"The rescue operation is continuously underway and will continue through the night and tomorrow as well," Singh said.
The cause of the capsize has not been determined.
Police have meanwhile launched an investigation into the tragedy by are questioning eyewitnesses and working to verify the actual number of passengers.
Local residents told The New Indian Express that the boat lost control and capsized because of overcrowding.
A local man who helped with the rescue told ANI that the local police had previously been informed that the boat was in poor condition but had taken no action.
He also alleged that the district administration arrived around an hour after being alerted.
Residents protested and shouted slogans denouncing the district administration when Singh arrived at a local hospital, according to The Hindu.
Bihar Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary announced state assistance of INR400,000 (US$4,200) for the family of each person who died.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi described the loss of life as "deeply painful." His office announced a further INR200,000 (US$2,100) from the Prime Minister's National Relief Fund for each victim's next of kin and INR50,000 (US$530) for each injured person.
On September 8, another boat had capsized in Vaishali district, leaving one person dead and one missing. Nine others were rescued.
In May, a boat carrying 14 people capsized on the Ganges in Bihar's Patna district. Seven people were rescued, two bodies were recovered, and five people were reported missing.
Baird Maritime tracks global passenger vessel accidents in its comprehensive database, which can be accessed here.