The death toll in the Mahanadi River boat tragedy increased to seven on Saturday. Rescue efforts are continuing to recover the body of one more missing person.
As many as eight persons, including four women and three children, went missing when the boat they were travelling capsized in Mahanadi River in Jharsuguda on Friday evening. The incident took place when around 50 passengers hailing from the Kharsia area in neighbouring Chhattisgarh were returning in the boat after visiting a temple in Patharseni Kuda in Odisha's Bargarh district.
A rescue official told ANI that the bodies of six persons were recovered on Saturday morning are rescue operations are continuing.
The boat capsized as it was about to reach Sarada Ghat in Rengali police station in Jharsuguda district, a police officer said. According to officials, 40 of the passengers were rescued on Friday evening itself. Local fishermen rescued 35 passengers and brought them to the bank, he said, adding that police and fire services personnel rescued seven more passengers.
Northen Range IG Himansu Lal told PTI on Friday that four teams have been formed and at least five scuba divers along with two underwater search cameras deployed in the search operation. Lal said personnel of ODRAF (Odisha Disaster Rapid Action Force) have also been engaged in the operation. The scuba divers and underwater search cameras were taken to the site through a special flight from Bhubaneswar.
While Chief Secretary P.K. Jena and Special Relief Commissioner (SRC) Satyabrata Sahu have been monitoring the rescue and relief operation from Bhubaneswar, the revenue divisional commissioner (RDC), Jharsuguda district collector and SP are present at the river bank and supervising the operation.
Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik has announced an ex-gratia amount of Rs 4 lakh for the next of kin of the deceased.
Local Bargarh MP and senior BJP leader Suresh Pujari, who reached the spot on Friday, alleged, "The boat was operating without a valid license. It was not accorded fitness certificate by the authority concerned and there was no life guard on it." He also claimed that the boat was overcrowded and ferrying around 50 people much beyond its capacity. District authorities said that a probe would be conducted into the incident.
-with inputs from agencies.
