Six school children died after a boat carrying 27 students, who were on a picnic, overturned in a lake on the outskirts of Vadodara city in Gujarat on Thursday, officials said.

A search operation is underway to trace the remaining students at the Harni lake, where the incident happened, they said.

Gujarat Education Minister Kuber Dindor said, "I have just learnt that six children died after a boat carrying school students overturned in a lake." "Rescue operations are underway. The National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and the fire brigade personnel are on the job along with other agencies," he said.

Vadodara district collector A B Gor said there were 27 children on the boat.

"We are trying to trace and rescue others," he said.

"A boat carrying school students, who came here on a picnic, overturned in Harni lake in the afternoon. The fire brigade has so far rescued seven students, while search is on for the missing ones," Vadodara's chief fire officer Parth Brahmbhatt said.

Few local residents rescued some children before the fire brigade personnel reached the spot, he said.

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