More than 50 feared drowned in Brahmaputra as boats collide in Assam

A large boat has sank after a head-on collision with a passenger ferry near Nimati Ghat in Assam’s Jorhat district on Wednesday, raising fears of several deaths as more than 100 people were reportedly riding the two carriers. Around 40 people have been rescued so far.

Sources said several people have been reported missing in the swirling Brahmaputra, around 350 km from Guwahati. The State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) has been pressed into action.

The collision occurred when the private boat Ma Kamala was headed to Majuli from Nimati Ghat and the government-owned ferry Tripkai was coming from Majuli.

“The boat Ma Kamala capsized and then sank. We do not have much detail at this moment,” an official of the Inland Water Transport (IWT) Department reportedly said.

Saddened by the boat accident in Assam. All possible efforts are being made to rescue the passengers. I pray for everyone’s safety and well-being.

— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) September 8, 2021

Another official said more than 120 passengers were on board the boat, but many were rescued by Tripkai which is owned by the department. Jorhat Deputy Commissioner Ashok Barman told the media that 41 people, including a baby, have been rescued so far and no bodies have been found by the relief teams conducting a search and rescue operation with the help of divers.

“We cannot say right now how many people have died,” a senior official of Jorhat district administration said. One of the boats was also carrying several four-wheelers and two-wheelers that went down the river.

Videos from the site of the accident showed the boat sinking after the collision, as some passengers tried to grab on to it while others jumped into the water to save themselves.

A concerned Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma directed the district administrations of Majuli and Jorhat to undertake the rescue mission expeditiously with the help of NDRF and SDRF teams. He has asked Principal Secretary Samir Kumar Sinha to monitor the developments and minister Bimal Bora to rush to the site of the accident.

“Sarma will himself visit Nimati Ghat tomorrow,” a statement from his office said. Home minister Amit Shah has also taken stock of the situation.

With Inputs from Agencies

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