At least two people died and several others are feared missing after a boat carrying around 14 passengers capsized in the Ganga River near Umanath Ganga Ghat in the Samastipur district of Patna district on Thursday.
An eyewitness told PTI, "There were approximately 14 to 15 people on the boat. Around seven people are feared drowned. Others were rescued using another boat. So far, it has not been confirmed how many people have drowned."
The incident occurred around 5.45 am while they were returning from Sultanpur Diara in the Mohiuddinnagar block of the district.
According to the police, the incident occurred after strong winds swept through the area, causing the small boat to lose balance and capsize in the middle of the river. While some passengers were rescued after being pulled onto another boat nearby, at least five people are still feared missing, and search operations are underway.
Barh Sub-Divisional Police Officer (SDPO) Ramakrishna confirmed that two bodies had been recovered so far, while rescue teams were searching for the missing passengers.
“We received information that a small boat overturned due to strong winds in the Ganga River. Fourteen people were on board. Seven people are reported safe, while two bodies have been recovered. Another five people are still missing,” the officer said.
He added that teams of the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) had been rushed to the spot, and a large-scale search operation was being launched in the river. Officials say further details are awaited.
This is the latest in the series of boat tragedies that the country has witnessed. On April 30, an overcrowded cruise boat operated by the Madhya Pradesh Tourism Department capsized in the Bargi Dam reservoir in Jabalpur, killing 13 persons, including women and children, while 28 others were rescued. According to officials, the boat was hit by strong winds reaching 60 to 70 kmph, causing it to overturn.