The contract of a firm operating the recreation zone of a lake in Vadodara in Gujarat in which a boat capsized a couple of days ago killing 12 students and two teachers has been cancelled by the local civic body, an official said on Saturday.

The boat, carrying students and teachers on a picnic, capsized on Thursday afternoon in Motnath lake in Harni area, with subsequent probes showing the vessel was overloaded and the service operator had not made provisions for enough life jackets. The contract of Kotia Projects, the firm which developed, operated and maintained the lakefront for recreational purposes, has been terminated by the Vadodara Municipal Corporation (VMC), the civic body’s standing committee chairperson Sheetal Mistry said.