Gorakhpur: Seven children drowned when their boat capsized in the Rapti River in the district, police said on Thursday.
About 20 people were crossing the river in a small boat near Gauri Mangalpur village of Khorabar block when it capsized midstream.
Overloading of the boat is said to be the reason behind the incident, they said.
While bodies of seven children identified as Seema (13), Dhanushree (16), Rani (9), Rinki (12), Savita (10), Pradeep (12) and Ajit (14) were fished out by the divers, the body of one boy is yet to be recovered.
The district administration has given an ex-gratia of Rs 10,000 each to the families of the victims.
PTI
First Published: Thursday, December 22, 2011, 09:51