The National Disaster Response Force joined multi-agency rescue operations on Wednesday to trace six people, including four children, who went missing after a machine-operated country boat capsized in the Brahmaputra river in Assam’s Barpeta district on Tuesday afternoon after hitting a whirlpool.
Search operations resumed early in the day, involving the police, civil administration, State Disaster Response Force and local residents. Barpeta Revenue Circle Field Officer Jyotirmoy Choudhury said the efforts were continuing with added manpower and expertise.
“So far, there is no news about the missing people. Experts are working very hard to find them,” Choudhury said, adding that the NDRF had joined the rescue operations.
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The incident occurred when the boat, carrying 22 passengers, was travelling from Rahampur to Borghul char, a riverine vegetative island. According to Choudhury, the vessel came into contact with a whirlpool midstream and sank.
“When the boat was sailing, it reportedly came into contact with a whirlpool and sank. Most of the people were rescued by a nearby boat,” he had said earlier.
Rescue operations were launched immediately after the accident, with locals assisting authorities in pulling survivors to safety. Six passengers, however, were swept away by the strong current.
Those missing have been identified as Madhu Mia (60), Sukurjan Nesa (45), Amina Parbin (8), Rahul Amin (7), Aryan Islam (4) and Junufa Yasmin (5).
Locals alleged that the boat was operating without basic safety arrangements. None of the passengers was wearing a life jacket at the time of the accident, Choudhury added.
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