GUWAHATI, Sept 8: At least 50 people, including women, were missing after a big boat capsized, following a collision with another boat on the Brahmaputra on Wednesday at Neamatighat in Assam’s Jorhat, officials said.
Police said that the boat was travelling from Neamatighat to Kamalabari ferry point in Majuli “island” while the other was Neamatighat-bound.
Jorhat district police chief Ankur Jain said that the police and the disaster management personnel located the capsized boat about 350 metres from the riverbank.
“We have rescued around 20 people on board the boar from various places downstream. However, around 50 people are missing till late evening,” he told the media adding that the searches for the missing people are on.
The other boat somehow stayed floating and the National Disaster Response Force and State Disaster Response Force personnel rescued all people on board, the police official said.
Among those rescued from the capsized boat, the condition of a woman was critical and she was taken to the medical college in Jorhat.
Officials said about 30 two-wheelers onboard the capsized ferry went underwater.
Boat ferries are the only mode of communication between river island Majuli and Jorhat district and the transport over the river is often hazardous and risky specially during the monsoon months (June to September) when the mighty Brahmaputra remains swollen.
Majuli, world’s biggest river island, is accessible by road from the northern bank of the Brahmaputra for most part of the year.
An official statement said that Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, who expressed his deep shock and concern over the boat accident, directed the administration of Majuli and Jorhat districts to undertake rescue missions expeditiously with the help of NDRF and SDRF. The Chief Minister, who would visit Nimati Ghat on Thursday for evaluating the situation, also directed Power Minister Bimal Bora to immediately visit the incident site to taker stock of the situation. He asked his Principal Secretary, Samir Kumar Sinha to monitor the developments round-the-clock.
Assam Chief Minister Dr. Himanta Biswa has expressed deep concern over the boat accident and directed the District Administration of Majuli and Jorhat to expedite the rescue operation with NDRF & SDRF.
The CM has also directed Minister Bimal Bora to rush to Majuli to oversee the rescue operation while the Principal Secretary to Chief Minister Samir Kumar Sinha has been directed to monitor the developments round-the-clock.
Taking to his Twitter CM Sarma wrote, “I am pained at the tragic boat accident near Nimati Ghat, Jorhat. Directed Majuli & Jorhat admin to undertake rescue mission expeditiously with help of @NDRFHQ & SDRF. Advising Min @BimalBorahbjp to immediately rush to the accident site. I’ll also visit Nimati Ghat tomorrow.”