In a tragic incident, at least 15 people, including school children and their teachers, were killed after their picnic boat capsized in Harni Motnath Lake in Gujarat’s Vadodara.
The boat was reportedly carrying 27 children and their teachers. None of them was wearing life jackets, which led to their drowning.
Visuals shared on social media showed rescue workers pulling out boat using ropes. The rescuers also saved at least 10 students and two teachers, who have been taken to hospital.
However, there situation was not immediately clear but there were reportedly breathing when pulled out of the lake.
Following the incident, Vadodara MP Ranjanben Dhananjay Bhatt said children have been shifted to different hospitals and promised a strict action will taken in the matter.
“The NDRF team is carrying out the rescue operation. The children have been taken to different hospitals…Strict action will be taken in this matter,” Bhatt said.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has announced an ex-gratia of Rs 2 lakh for the family members of the deceased and Rs 50,000 for 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 of Rs. 2 lakh from PMNRF would be given to the next of kin of each deceased. The injured would be given Rs. 50,000,” PM Modi’s office wrote on ‘X’.