GUWAHATI: Search operations are on to trace a person who went missing after a “storm-triggered” boat capsize in the Brahmaputra at Majhirgaon in the Azara area of Kamrup district on Saturday night.
Police sources who were on the spot confirmed that Naba Kalita of Azara went missing after the country boat that he was commuting on met with a mishap believed to be caused by a Cyclone Fani-induced storm.
Four others who were on the boat with him however survived. They were on their way back home after farming activity when disaster struck.
A joint team of NDRF, SDRF and Assam police rushed to the area but incessant rain and strong under-current hindered operations.
There was no trace of the missing person till Sunday evening.
“Four NDRF boats are engaged in the rescue mission. However, strong river current is making it difficult for us to effectively carry out the search. But we are trying our best,” an official source from 1 NDRF told The Shillong Times on Sunday.
Weather improves
The depression over western Meghalaya and adjoining Bangladesh has moved northeastwards and weakened further on Sunday, indicative of improved weather conditions in the days to come.
The Met office has relief in store for the Northeast after Cyclone Fani-induced incessant rain lashed parts of the region, uprooting trees, triggering landslips and snapping power lines in both Assam and Meghalaya on Saturday.
In Guwahati, many localities witnessed power outages for several hours on Saturday with heavy rain accompanied by gusty winds hitting the city by afternoon. Continuous rain throughout the evening till the wee hours caused water logging in many localities as well.
However, the weather improved drastically by Sunday morning.
According to the special bulletin released by the Regional Meteorological Centre at Borjhar on Sunday morning, the depression over western Meghalaya and Bangladesh weakened further and lay as a well marked low pressure area over central Assam and its neighbourhood around midnight on Saturday.
“It is very likely to move northeastwards and become insignificant during the next 24 hours,” it stated.