Guwahati, Apr 1: In a tragic incident, a four-year-old boy died, and two others went missing after a single-engine boat capsized in the Brahmaputra River in Assam’s South Salmara-Mankachar district during a storm on Sunday evening, said officials.
According to the locals, the boat was ferrying passengers which had both women and children, from Kali Alga Ghat to Nepur Alga Charanchal. Soon after the incident, a search operation was launched by the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) and 15 of the 18 passengers were rescued,” said an official.
“The incident happened at around 5pm on Sunday when the boat carrying passengers suddenly overturned due to strong wind. People had come to the Sunday market and were returning to their destination. One minor was drowned, and two more passengers went missing. The body of the child, identified as Shamim Hussain, was found early Monday. The two missing individuals have been identified as Kovad Hussain (65) and Ismail Hussain (8), according to the SDRF. Officials said that the search operation is still on, and local fishermen are also supporting the SDRF teams.
According to the latest IMD bulletin, a cyclonic circulation lies over northeast Assam, under which light to moderate rainfall is likely over the state between April 1 and April 4. The state has been predicted to experience isolated heavy rainfall today.
