<p>There were around 80 people in the boat when the accident took place late Sunday near Dallupur bank, about 125 km from Patna. At least 15 people were still missing, a police official said.<br /><br />The passengers, all of them poor labourers, were returning after plucking maize. <br /><br />"Prima-facie it appears the accident took place because of over-loading," the police official said.<br /><br />A district official said: "The boat could ferry 35 people, but at the time of the accident the boat had people more than twice its capacity." <br /><br />Rescue and search operations are on, the official added. The Bihar government has ordered a probe into the accident and announced a compensation of Rs.1 lakh each for the kin of the dead.<br /></p>
<p>There were around 80 people in the boat when the accident took place late Sunday near Dallupur bank, about 125 km from Patna. At least 15 people were still missing, a police official said.<br /><br />The passengers, all of them poor labourers, were returning after plucking maize. <br /><br />"Prima-facie it appears the accident took place because of over-loading," the police official said.<br /><br />A district official said: "The boat could ferry 35 people, but at the time of the accident the boat had people more than twice its capacity." <br /><br />Rescue and search operations are on, the official added. The Bihar government has ordered a probe into the accident and announced a compensation of Rs.1 lakh each for the kin of the dead.<br /></p>