In a tragic incident, a minimum of two individuals died and 7 others, together with 4 ladies and three youngsters, had been lacking after a ship capsized within the (*48*) River in Odisha’s Jharsuguda district on Friday.
According to the police, the incident occurred when over 50 passengers hailing from the Kharsia space in neighbouring Chhattisgarh had been returning within the boat after visiting a temple in Patharseni Kuda in (*57*) district.
The boat capsized when it was about to succeed in Sarada Ghat in Rengali police station in Jharsuguda district.
“The local fishermen rescued 35 passengers and brought them to the bank,” the police mentioned.
Another set of 13 extra folks had been rescued by the police and fireplace companies personnel, he added.
Seven different passengers are nonetheless lacking and a search operation has been launched, the police officer mentioned.
“The lacking individuals comprised 4 ladies and three youngsters.
The search and rescue operation will proceed until the final individual is situated,” Northen Range IG Himansu Lal advised PTI over cellphone.
The IG mentioned 4 groups have been shaped and a minimum of 5 scuba divers together with two underwater search cameras deployed within the search operation.
Lal mentioned personnel of ODRAF (Odisha Disaster Rapid Action Force) has additionally been engaged within the operation.
While Chief Secretary P Ok Jena and Special Relief Commissioner (SRC) Satyabrata Sahu have been monitoring the rescue and aid operation from Bhubaneswar, income divisional commissioner (RDC), Jharsuguda district collector and SP are current on the river financial institution and supervising the operation.
The scuba divers and underwater search cameras had been taken to the location via a particular flight from Bhubaneswar.
Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik has introduced an ex-gratia quantity of Rs 4 lakh for the subsequent of kin of the deceased.
Local (*57*) MP and senior BJP chief Suresh Pujari, who reached the spot, alleged, “The boat was operating without a valid license. It was not accorded a fitness certificate by the authority concerned and there was no life guard on it.”
The (*57*) MP additionally claimed that the boat was overcrowded and ferrying round 50 folks a lot past its capability.
(With PTI inputs)
