File picture of rescuers taking boat mishap victims to a hospital in Sambalpur on Sunday. (PTI)

Sambalpur, Feb. 11: The rescue team retrieved the body of three more persons, who were missing after a boat capsized in the Hirakud reservoir.

The death toll has risen to 31 with the recovery of the three bodies. A boat, which was carrying 114 picnickers of the Lions Club and some villagers, had capsized in the Hirakud reservoir on Sunday evening. Out of the 31 persons, who died in the mishap, 30 are picnickers of the Lions Club.

Today, the bodies of Ishant Neutia, 3, Sampad Saraf, 44 and Sruti Agrawal, 13, were retrieved from the reservoir.

The last rites of 19 deceased persons were performed in the Rajghat yesterday evening.

Revenue divisional commissioner (northern division) Pramod Meherda visited the Sonu Tikra ghat, where the rescue operation was going on, today. Sub-collector Surendra Panda said: “The rescue operation is almost over now. Bodies of the all the persons, who were missing in the incident, have already been recovered.”

On the other hand, a case has also been registered at the Hirakud police station in connection with the boat tragedy, said local superintendent of police Prateek Mohanty.

“The case has been registered against the boat owner Satyananda Pandey and two boatmen Akshaya Rana and Anjan,” said an officer of Hirakud police station.

District governor of Lions Club, P.C. Nayak also arrived here today to meet the members of the bereaved families. President of Lions Club Sambalpur, Ramesh Agrawal, who was also in the capsized boat, said: “We never thought that such a tragedy would occur. The boat capsized after water gushed into it. Overloading was not a factor at all.”