Guwahati: Rescue teams are yet to trace any of the six people who went missing after a machine-operated country boat capsized in the Brahmaputra river in Assam’s Barpeta district, as search operations entered the second day on January 28.
Despite round-the-clock searches by multiple agencies, there has been no breakthrough so far. Barpeta Revenue Circle Field Officer Jyotirmoy Choudhury said the situation remains unchanged.
“So far, there is no news about the missing persons. Experts are working very hard to locate them,” he said.
The National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) joined the rescue operation on Wednesday, strengthening the ongoing efforts of the police, civil administration and the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), which began search operations soon after the incident on Tuesday afternoon.
The accident occurred when the boat, carrying 22 passengers, was travelling from Rahampur to Borghul char, a riverine island in the Brahmaputra. Officials said the vessel encountered a whirlpool midstream and capsized.
“When the boat was sailing, it reportedly came into contact with a whirlpool and sank. Most of the passengers were rescued by a nearby boat,” Choudhury had said earlier.
At least six people, including four children, were swept away by the strong current. The 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 measures. Officials confirmed that none of the passengers was wearing a life jacket at the time of the incident.
Authorities said search operations are continuing along the river stretch, but strong currents and the depth of the Brahmaputra are posing major challenges.