Assam Boat Accident: One killed, 84 Rescued As Boat Capsizes

Assam Boat Accident: One was killed, 84 were rescued as the boat capsizes in Assam’s Jorhat; two still missing.

A boat carrying passengers sank in the Brahmaputra river after it collided with a steamer in Assam’s Jorhat district on Wednesday.

90 people were in the boat during this accident, out of which one died and about 87 people have been rescued safely, while 2 passengers are still missing.

Three officials of the Inland Water Transport (IWT) department have been suspended for negligence.

NDRF and SDRF teams are continuously engaged in relief and rescue work. CM Himanta Biswa Sarma has ordered a high-level inquiry.

A private boat ‘Maa Kamala’ carrying passengers and vehicles from Nimati Ghat had left for Majuli. At some distance, it collided with the government ferry steamer Tripkai.

Jorhat Superintendent of Police Ankur Jain said that after sinking, the boat had drifted about one and a half kilometers away.

The missing persons are residents of Jorhat and Lakhimpur districts and the search operation is still on by the divers of NDRF and SDRF along with the Army.

He said divers went inside the boat on Thursday morning as well, but nobody was found. Army divers will also search the area. IAF will conduct an aerial survey to trace the missing people.

At the same time, Jorhat Medical College and Hospital Superintendent Purnima Barua said that 11 passengers were admitted to the hospital, out of which one died and three have been sent home after treatment.

He said seven people are still undergoing treatment, but none of them is critical. More than physical injury, they are in mental trauma.

The deceased has been identified as Paramita Das, a resident of Guwahati, and was working as a faculty at Rangchahi College, Majuli.

Expressing concern over the accident, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma directed Majuli and Jorhat district administrations to expedite the rescue work with the help of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and State Disaster Response Force (SDRF).

He also sent Minister Bimal Bora to the spot and asked his Principal Secretary Sameer Kumar Sinha to monitor the relief and rescue work round the clock. He will visit Nimti Ghat on Thursday.

President and Prime Minister expressed grief, gave assurance of help

President Ram Nath Kovind, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Shipping Minister Sarbananda Sonowal, Assam Governor Jagdish Mukhi, and Congress leader Rahul Gandhi have expressed deep grief over the accident.

PM Modi tweeted, ‘Shocked by the boat accident in Assam. Every effort is being made to save the passengers.

Union Home Minister Shah spoke to Assam CM Sarma over the phone and inquired about the rescue operations.