India, Oct. 19 -- For families living along Bihar's rivers, crossing the water is rarely an adventure. It is part of an ordinary day. A boat takes a farmer to his fields, a teacher to a school, a child to a classroom and a worker to a job on the other bank. Markets, hospitals and social gatherings can all lie across a stretch of water that is deceptively familiar.

Yet an everyday journey can turn into a last one.

On the night of October 13, at least 13 people died when a boat capsized in the Ganga near Raghopur in Vaishali district. Twelve of the victims were reported to be children. The passengers were travelling at around 8.30pm to attend a feast when the boat overturned. Initial reports suggested that the vessel was small and may hav...