Chief minister Nitish Kumar had a narrow escape when his steamer dashed against a pillar of the JP Setu in the Ganga near here on Saturday.

He suffered minor injuries in the incident and retired to his official 1, Aney Marg residence to rest.

Nitish had gone out on the steamer in the Ganga to inspect the arrangements of facilities for devotees at the ghats and riverbank along Patna for the Chhath festival at the end of this month.

The vessel hit one of the pillars of the JP Setu while moving under the bridge. The collision jolted the chief minister as well as several senior officials and security personnel travelling as a part of his retinue.

The steamer also shut down and got stuck below the bridge after the collision. It could not be started again despite several attempts. Another steamer was hurriedly arranged and sent to the place to rescue the chief minister and the officials.

“Nitishji suffered a jolt in the mishap. Everybody on board panicked. Luckily nothing serious happened. He (Nitish) retired to rest after reaching his residence,” a senior bureaucrat told The Telegraph on the condition of anonymity.

Other officers whom this newspaper tried to contact either refused to take calls or declined to speak. Patna district magistrate could not be contacted because his aide said he was busy at his court.

Asked about the incident, information and public relations department director Amit Kumar said, “I have no idea about it.”

Boatmen working in the Ganga said the big vessel should not have been taken near the bridge when the water level was very high.

“Besides, the water near the pillars of the bridge is always swirling. Dangerous currents and eddies are present there. It is very difficult to control vessels in such a situation and chances of accidents are high,” said Dina Sahni, a boatman.

The water level in the Ganga is very high even though it is the middle of October due to heavy rain in Bihar, Nepal, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand and the Delhi-Haryana region. The danger level of the river in Digha, where the incident occurred, is 50.45 metres, while the water level on Saturday was 49.75 metres. Taking out boats or bigger vessels in such a situation is not recommended.

Nitish instructed officials to ensure that the Chhath devotees do not face any problem in performing rituals on the banks of the Ganga. He also asked them to ensure that barricades are erected for their protection.