At least 12 students and two teachers are believed to have died in western India, after a boat carrying them to a school outing overturned on Thursday.
Vadodara City Police Commissioner Anupam Singh Gehlot talked to BBC Gujarati and said that the number of deaths is confirmed. He also said that a rescue operation is still happening.
We don’t know what caused the incident at Harni Lake in Vadodara, Gujarat yet.
Local authorities said that about 27 people were on the boat.
The local police told the BBC that they rescued up to seven people from the water.
Police Commissioner Gehlot said that the children who were saved are getting medical care at a hospital close by.
He also said that the people who were hurt did not get life jackets on the boat, according to Reuters.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed his sadness for the families who have lost loved ones.
The leader of Gujarat, Bhupendra Patel, said the government will give 400,000 rupees to the families of people who died and 50,000 rupees to the families of people who were hurt in the accident.
Boat accidents happen often in India because the boats are usually too full, not taken care of and don’t have enough safety gear.
Twenty-two people died when a boat overturned in the southern state of Kerala in India last year.
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India boat disaster claims lives of at least ten children
