At least ten school students aged between 8 and 14 are feared to have drowned after a boat overturned in the Bagmati River of Muzaffarpur district in India's Bihar state on Thursday.
The boat was carrying as many as 34 students when the incident occurred around 8 a.m.
Senior police officer Shahriyar Akhtar said that the boat locals used to cross the river was overloaded when the accident happened.
Bihar state chief Nitish Kumar said senior district officers, including the district magistrate, have been directed to the accident scene. He said adequate aid and support would be given to the children's families.
Police and the State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF) officers also reached the site and launched rescue efforts.