Patna, Jan. 14: At least 21 persons drowned today when a country boat carrying around 40 persons capsized in the Ganga near Gandhi Ghat in Patna.

The boat, mostly carrying women and children, was returning to the ghat from Sabbalpur Diara - where the government's kite festival for Makar Sankranti was on - when tragedy struck around 5.30pm. Twenty bodies had been recovered, Patna senior superintendent of police Manu Maharaaj said later tonight. The locals brought another body to Patna Medical College and Hospital (PMCH).

Identities of the capsize victims are yet to be identified.

A senior officer of the disaster management department, Anirudh Kumar, said: "The rescue operation is on to trace the missing persons."

Taking a serious note of the incident and expressing grief over the tragedy, chief minister Nitish Kumar ordered a detailed probe into the mishap. He also spoke to Patna district magistrate Sanjay Kumar Agrawal and other officials and assessed the rescue operation.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has also expressed grief.

Principal secretary, disaster management, Pratyaya Amrit and deputy inspector-general (central range) Shalin have been assigned the task to probe the incident. Amrit said Rs 4 lakh would be given to the next of kin of each of those who died in the tragedy.

Sources in the chief minister's secretariat said Nitish has also directed principal secretary, health, R.K. Mahajan to ensure proper treatment of those undergoing treatment at the PMCH.

The commandant of the 9th battalion of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) Vijay Sinha said three teams of the force (130 personnel) had been pressed into service to rescue the people missing since the tragedy. State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) commandant Vinod Kumar said personnel were deputed at the ghats since morning for the kite festival organised by the Bihar State Tourism Development Corporation at Sabbalpur Diara.

"Around six persons were rescued by SDRF personnel and subsequently admitted to the PMCH," he told The Telegraph. Vinod, along with his deputy A.K. Jha, is monitoring the rescue operation. The Patna district magistrate, senior superintendent of police Manu Maharaaj and city superintendent of police (central) Chandan Kushwaha are also camping at the Gandhi Ghat and around Sabbalpur Diara.

Relatives of the victims gathered near Gandhi Ghat, alleging mismanagement on the part of the state government which had organised the kite-flying festival. Sources in the tourism department said the event has been cancelled after the mishap.

The Gandhi Setu rehabilitation project was supposed to be inaugurated on Sunday, but chief minister Nitish Kumar requested Nitin Gadkari, the Union minister for road, transport and highways, and shipping, over phone to postpone the launch. Later, road construction minister Tejashwi Yadav confirmed that the inauguration has been cancelled.