At least 12 students and two teachers have been confirmed dead as a boat capsized in the Harni Lake. The boat, which was carrying around 27 people at the time of the incident, was part of a school trip organized by New Sunrise School.
According to the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), 19 children and four teachers were pulled out from the water, while a search operation is currently underway for four other missing children. The victims were rushed to the SSG hospital, where a boy and two girls, all aged 15, and two teachers aged 45 were declared dead on arrival. One student, aged 13, is currently undergoing treatment.
The lake, which falls under the jurisdiction of Vadodara Municipal Corporation (VMC), had given a contract for boating to a private company. The main contractor, Paresh Shah, had subcontracted the boating operations to Nilesh Jain.
A source revealed that only 50% of the 23 school students and teachers who went boating were equipped with life jackets. The fire brigade was informed immediately about the incident, and a rescue operation was initiated.
The deceased students have been identified as Sakina Sheikh, Muavaza Sheikh, Ayat Mansoori, Rehan Khalifa, Vishwa Nizam, Jahabiya Subedar, Ayesha Khalifa, and Nancy Maachi. The deceased teachers have been identified as Chhaya Patel and Falguni Surti.
Nine deaths have been reported from Janvi hospital, while three have passed away in SSG Hospital (Sir Sayajirao General Hospital). More than 13 children were admitted to SSG Hospital for treatment after the incident.
The teachers present during the incident accused the contractor of negligence, stating that although the boat’s capacity was 10 to 12 children, they seated 20 to 25 children in a single boat.
Dr. Sheetal Mistry, the Standing Committee Chairman of Vadodara, stated, “At the preliminary stage, information is being obtained about the boat capsizing, and after a thorough investigation of how the incident took place, action will be taken against the responsible contractor.”
Also Read: Why Wearing a Life Jacket is Your Ticket to Water Safety
