An Assam Civil Service officer and six others were missing after a country boat that they boarded Thursday morning capsized in the Brahmaputra in western Assam's Dhubri district.
The incident took place at around 10.30 am when circle officer Dhubri, Sanju Das, a land revenue official and another staff boarded the country boat at Dhubri for inspection of an erosion-affected riverine island. Eye-witnesses told the district administration officials that the boat capsized after it hit the pillar of an under-construction bridge while coming back to Dhubri. "The pillar was half constructed and it was under the water. Probably the boat driver did not see and hit the pillar," said an official.
Assam State Disaster Management Authority officials in Guwahati said that there were 29 passengers in the boat including the circle officer and other government officials. "Local people and state disaster response force personnel rescued several persons. Rescue efforts are underway for the missing persons," it said.
Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma expressed concern over the incident and asked officials to put in all efforts to rescue the missing persons. Sarma said the boat was only meant for transportation of goods and so an inquiry will be conducted into why the officer and others boarded the boat.
Dhubri Lok Sabha member and Chief of All Indian United Democratic Front, Maulana Badruddin Ajmal sought an inquiry into the mishap. "Similar boat accidents happened in the Brahmaputra at Medartari in Dhubri and in Majuli in the past. Despite that, we failed to prevent another mishap," he said.