At least 25 people were confirmed dead on Sunday after a boat capsized in the Ganges river in eastern India, police and rescue officials said. The overcrowded boat ferrying more than 40 passengers from a fairground across the river near the eastern Indian city of Patna capsized at around 5:30 pm (12 noon GMT) on Saturday. "The passengers of the boat tried to jump on to another boat behind and that too tipped," National Disaster Relief Force director RK Pachnanda said. Twenty-five bodies had been recovered so far, an official at the Patna police control room said. These were of 15 men, five women and five children. Divers and boats continued searching for the missing on Sunday, although it was unclear exactly how many people were on the boats. Dozens of people had been rescued and the injured were admitted to a hospital in Patna, the capital of eastern Bihar state. Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar ordered a probe into the accident. The federal and state governments together announced compensation of 600,000 rupees (about 8,800 dollars) for the next of kin of each deceased.
