On Thursday evening, a boat capsized in the Lake Zone of the Harni Lake in Vadodara, killing at least 15 people, including three schoolchildren and teachers, during a private school picnic. According to NDRF, the boat was carrying 27 occupants at the time of the incident. While 19 children and four teachers were evacuated and sent to various hospitals, a search is currently underway for four missing children.
#WATCH | Gujarat: CM Bhupendra Patel reaches at Harni Motnath Lake in Vadodara where a boat capsized earlier this evening. pic.twitter.com/2jJAvX4gC8— ANI (@ANI) January 18, 2024
According to VMC officials, the lake zone is managed by Kotia Projects in a public-private partnership with the civic body. The police have filed a FIR against five people under IPC Section 304 (culpable homicide not amounting to murder).
As per initial reports, the students from New Sunrise School arrived in Panigate at 4.30 pm on Thursday and boarded a boat with a seating capacity of sixteen.
Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel, along with Minister of State (Home) Harsh Sanghvi, visited the lake and spoke with fire department officers and NDRF personnel. He also interacted with the locals who assisted in the rescue effort.
Meanwhile, a tweet shared by the Prime Minister’s Office on their official Twitter account, announcing compensation for the deceased and the injured
Distressed by the loss of lives due to a boat capsizing at the Harni lake in Vadodara. My thoughts are with the bereaved families in this hour of grief. May the injured recover soon. The local administration is providing all possible assistance to those affected.
An ex-gratia…— PMO India (@PMOIndia) January 18, 2024
Boat accidents are unfortunately common in some areas due to overcrowding, poor maintenance, and lack of safety equipment. An example of such an incident is the Tanur boat accident that occurred on the evening of May 7th, 2023. During this accident, the recreational boat Atlantic capsized at Tanur Beach in Tanur, Malappuram, Kerala, India. The boat was carrying 37 people, and sadly, 22 people lost their lives while 10 others, including 11 children, suffered injuries.
Photo Credit: BBC/AFP
(Inputs from agencies)
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