Bodies of 26 people who drowned after two boats capsized in Bihar were recovered on Tuesday even as a search was on to trace around 50 missing people, police said.
Bodies of 26 people who drowned after two boats capsized in Bihar were recovered on Tuesday even as a search was on to trace around 50 missing people, police said.
Eighteen people drowned and 45-50 others were missing when an overcrowded country boat, carrying over 100 people, capsized in the Bagmati river near Fultora Ghat last evening, Superintendent of Police of Khagaria district, Indranand Mishra said.
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The passengers were returning to their villages after attending a fair on the occasion of Vijaya Dashami.
National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) are engaged in rescue operations since last evening and recovered 18 bodies, mostly of minors and women, Mishra said.
While five bodies were recovered last evening, 13 others were found this morning, Mishra said. Twenty-five persons swam to safety. In another mishap, eight persons died when their boat sank in Kamala Balan river in Darbhanga district last evening. All bodies were recovered.
The boat, carrying 17 people, overturned during immersion of an idol of Goddess Durga. Nine persons swam to safety.
Chief Minister Nitish Kumar announced an ex-gratia of Rs 1.50 lakh to the families of each of the deceased.