Thirteen children die in shipwreck on the Ganges River in India

Plink minus 13 children drowned on Tuesday night when a boat, allegedly overloaded by witnesses, turned on the Ganges River, northeast India, local authorities reported.

The boat turned at dusk as it crossed the river to take passengers to a religious festival in a village in the state of Bihar.

“ The searches were resumed this morning, after being suspended due to darkness,” said Varsha Singh, an authority in Vaishali district, adding that several people were still missing.

Six passengers were also hospitalized, doctor Nirmal Kumar said.

“It was dark when suddenly we heard children screaming and asking for help. We were only able to save three children thanks to the light of our phones and flashlights,” said Radi Yadav, a resident who participated in the rescue.

According to another resident of the village, Ramlakhan Rai, the boat was designed for only six people, but carried at least 20 to 25.

“ Even knowing the poor conditions of this small boat, the local authorities did nothing to replace or repair it ", accused.

The Indian Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, expressed his “deep regret” after the accident and promised financial assistance to the families of the victims.

Shipwrecks are frequent in India due to overloaded vessels, non-compliance with safety standards or lack of safety equipment.