GUWAHATI, Sept 8: The Assam transport department has ordered a departmental inquiry into Wednesday afternoon’s ferry accident at Nimatighat in Upper Assam’s Jorhat district, while three officials of inland water transport (IWT) have been placed under suspension.
Transport department secretary Jadav Saikia has been directed to inquire into the accident.
“Three officials, Bikramaditya Choudhury, in-charge executive engineer of IWT, Dibrugarh division; Mukut Gogoi, in-charge assistant executive engineer, IWT, Jorhat subdivision and Ratul Tamuli, junior engineer, IWT, Jorhat sub-division, have been placed under suspension,” an official statement said.
Meanwhile, state transport minister Chandra Mohan Patowary has expressed deep shock and grief over the ferry accident. “I am deeply saddened by the tragic ferry accident at Majuli. Departmental action will be taken against those found guilty,” Patowary, who is closely monitoring the rescue operations, said in a statement.
Senior officials have rushed to the spot as directed by the minister to coordinate the relief and rescue operations at Nimatighat.