After a boat capsized in Bihar's Bagmati District today, Thursday, September 14, ten students of a government school are feared to have drowned, according to IANS.
The District Administration said that after the mishap, 20 students had managed to swim to safety, and 10 others went missing in the incident, which took place around 11 in the morning.
As per information, a rescue operation has been launched in the area with the help of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), the State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF) personnel besides local swimmers to trace the missing children.
The incident
The students were onboard the boat which overturned in the middle of the river at Madhurpatti Ghat under Beniput outpost in the district.
In pursuit of earning more money, the boatmen allowed passengers beyond the boat's capacity, the local police alleged. They also added that the boat was overcrowded which led to the unfortunate incident.
CM orders inquiry
Chief Minister of Bihar, Nitish Kumar, ordered an inquiry into the incident and directed the district magistrate and Senior Superintendent Of Police (SSP) of Muzaffarpur to provide adequate help to the family members of the missing children.
Blame mandatory attendance?
As per sources, many family members of the students blamed the education department for making 75 per cent attendance mandatory in schools. They also claimed that poor infrastructure for students to reach schools and risking their lives every day in the absence of it has led to the repetitive occurrence of such accidents.
