Assam: 10 missing after a boat carrying officials on an erosion inspection tour capsized
More than ten people went missing after a boat carrying a team of officials and locals to visit the erosion-affected area in Assam’s Dhubri district capsized at around 10.30 am.
Speaking to The Deccan Era, an official of the Assam State Disaster Management Authority (ASDMA) in Dhubri said that the boat accidentally collided with the underwater pole of the Dhubri-Phubari bridge, which is under construction, on its way back.
More than 25 people were on board the boat, and the accident caused catastrophic damage and capsized. A group of local people and government officials rushed to the rescue and helped bring about 15 people back to the ground. However, more than ten are still missing, an ASDMA official said on anonymity.
The missing include Dhubri revenue divisional officer and magistrate Sanju Das (32). Senior officials, like Disaster Management Area Officer Peter Saha and Zilla Parishad member Baby Begum, were on board the boat. The latter two were rescued and taken to a local hospital, where they are now found stable.
“Search operation is on for the rest of the missing persons. State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), Border Security Force (BSF) personnel and local people are involved in the rescue operation. National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) personnel are also coming to join the rescue”, the official said.
