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NNN--- Rescue workers bringing some of the survivors of Assam boat tragedy to safety April 30, 2012. In one of the worst boat tragedies in Assam, 103 people, including women and children, drowned and over 100 went missing when a packed double-decked teamer carrying over 300 passengers sank in the Brahmaputra River after being caught in a severe storm midstream in Assam’s Dhubri district. The National Disaster Relief Force, BSF and Army and personnel of the district administration are continuing search operations amidst torrential rain which has continued till May 1, 2012. In another boat capsize, 12 people were missing when a boat sank in the same river at Jaleswar.Photo courtesy post.jagran.com---NNN |
NEW DELHI (NNN-Xinhua) -- Over 200 people were feared dead in a major ferry incident in the northeast Indian state of Assam Monday evening, with 103 people confirmed dead from drowning while over 100 still remained missing after an over-packed double-decked steamer with 300 passengers capsized in the fast-flowing Brahmaputra river amid a heavy storm.
The Press Trust of India quoted Indian National Disaster Relief Force head Alok Jha as saying the bodies of 103 victims, including women and children, were recovered by the Border Security Force and the National Disaster Relief Force personnel near Jaleswar of the Bhubri district in western Assam.
Dhubri district Police Deputy Commissioner Kumud Chandra Kalita told the media about 25 people swam to safety, while 35 people were later rescued.
The ferry was crossing the river from Dhubrighat, a fishing town, to Medartary in the south bank of the gigantic river when it capsized amid storm at 16:20 p.m. local time.
The Indian Army, Navy, Border Security Force, National Disaster Force and police armed with mechanized boats have launched a massive rescue operation in the river, which was forced to suspend after darkness, bad weather and strong current made it impossible to search for survivors.
Indian President Pratibha Patil and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh both expressed grief over the loss of life while the Prime Minister ordered assistance to the Assam state government for relief and fund for families of the dead.
Meanwhile, 12 people went missing Monday also on the Brahmaputra river in another boat capsize at Jaleswar amid the storm, according to media reports.
Boat capsize takes place from time to time in India due to overloading of passengers, bad condition of the boats or steamers, and hostile river and weather conditions.
Rescuers sitting on rubber boats Tuesday crisscrossed on the wide water to look for possible survivors of a doomed ferry, which capsized and sank in northeast India's turbulent Brahmaputra River, leaving at least 100 drowned and some 200 missing.
Local TV footage showed divers coming up and down in the muddy water of the river in India's northeast state Assam's western Dhubri district, where the two-deckered British colonial era steamer ferry, carrying 350, lost control and broke into two amid a fierce storm Monday afternoon.
But it was a long and slow process to fish bodies out of the water while soldiers and rescue men were seen using rubber boats to patrol the river tapping the water to see if any body was down there.
Thousands of on-lookers stood on the banks to watch the operation going on in a rather slow and listless pace.
The incident took place in a remote area near the Bangladesh border, 250 km from the Assam state capital Guwahati. All the passengers were believed to be local peasants, laborers, peddlers and fishermen who lived off the river which killed them.
Some of the victims were believed to be stuck in the sunken boat so the figure of the dead cannot be determined until the wrecked boat was lifted from the water. "The death toll may rise as more than 100 are missing and the exact toll will be known after the search operation,"Dhubri Deputy Commissioner Kumud Chandra Kalita said. "The National Disaster Relief Force, Border Security Force and Army and personnel of the district administration are continuing search operations amidst torrential rain which has continued till this morning,"Kalita told the media.
The ferry was sailing from Dhubri ferry ghat or port to Medartary, another small port, on the south bank of the river when it capsized after being caught in the eye of a storm in the wide waters.
President Pratibha Patil had expressed grief over the loss of lives, while Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had assured Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi of all help for relief and funds for families of the victims, said Press Trust of India.
The chief minister Togoi has already ordered an inquiry.--NNN-XINHUA
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