A festive gathering turned into a scene of mourning on Thursday after a boat carrying local devotees capsized in the Ganga River near Patna. At least three people have been confirmed dead, and four others remain missing as rescue operations continue under challenging conditions.&nbsp;The incident occurred near the Umanath Ganga Ghat in the Barh subdivision of Patna district. According to local administrative officials, the vessel was transporting approximately 14 to 15 passengers, many of whom belonged to families returning from performing rituals and bathing in the sacred river.&nbsp;&nbsp;Eyewitnesses reported that the small, traditionally crafted boat encountered sudden, violent winds midstream. The turbulent weather caused the helmsman to lose control, and the severely overloaded vessel capsized within seconds, plunging all passengers into the deep, fast-flowing currents. Hearing the screams of the victims, nearby boatmen and local residents immediately rushed to the scene. Thanks to their quick intervention, several passengers were pulled from the water before official rescue teams arrived.&nbsp;&nbsp;"The boat lost its balance almost instantly when the wind picked up," said Manoj Kumar, a local resident who witnessed the mishap. "A few people managed to swim toward the bank, but others were quickly swept away by the strong undercurrents."&nbsp;Upon receiving the alert, Patna District Administration deployed teams from the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) and the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF). By evening, search teams had fished out three bodies from the river. Emergency workers are utilizing motorboats and deep-sea divers to locate the four missing individuals, though fading daylight and murky waters have hampered progress.&nbsp;Patna District Authorities have ordered an immediate investigation into the tragedy. Preliminary findings suggest that overcrowding and a lack of standard safety equipment, such as life jackets, significantly contributed to the high casualty count. Strict safety protocols regulate commercial and private boating on the Ganga, and officials have promised stringent legal action against the boat operator for violating capacity limits.

Three people are dead and four remain missing after a boat carrying 14 passengers capsized in the Ganga river near Patna's Patna City area. Read about the ongoing SDRF rescue operations.

A festive gathering turned into a scene of mourning on Thursday after a boat carrying local devotees capsized in the Ganga River near Patna. At least three people have been confirmed dead, and four others remain missing as rescue operations continue under challenging conditions. The incident occurred near the Umanath Ganga Ghat in the Barh subdivision of Patna district. According to local administrative officials, the vessel was transporting approximately 14 to 15 passengers, many of whom belonged to families returning from performing rituals and bathing in the sacred river. Eyewitnesses reported that the small, traditionally crafted boat encountered sudden, violent winds midstream. The turbulent weather caused the helmsman to lose control, and the severely overloaded vessel capsized within seconds, plunging all passengers into the deep, fast-flowing currents. Hearing the screams of the victims, nearby boatmen and local residents immediately rushed to the scene. Thanks to their quick intervention, several passengers were pulled from the water before official rescue teams arrived. "The boat lost its balance almost instantly when the wind picked up," said Manoj Kumar, a local resident who witnessed the mishap. "A few people managed to swim toward the bank, but others were quickly swept away by the strong undercurrents." Upon receiving the alert, Patna District Administration deployed teams from the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) and the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF). By evening, search teams had fished out three bodies from the river. Emergency workers are utilizing motorboats and deep-sea divers to locate the four missing individuals, though fading daylight and murky waters have hampered progress. Patna District Authorities have ordered an immediate investigation into the tragedy. Preliminary findings suggest that overcrowding and a lack of standard safety equipment, such as life jackets, significantly contributed to the high casualty count. Strict safety protocols regulate commercial and private boating on the Ganga, and officials have promised stringent legal action against the boat operator for violating capacity limits.

Three people are dead and four remain missing after a boat carrying 14 passengers capsized in the Ganga river near Patna's Patna City area. Read about the ongoing SDRF rescue operations.

Tragedy on the Ganga: Three dead, four missing after boat capsizes near Patna

In a tragic incident, a boat capsized in the Ganga river near Patna in the northern Indian state of Bihar, According to ANI, at least 20 people have died in the accident.The accident took place when the boat,was about to reach the river bank. The boat was returning from a kite festival on the occasion of Makar Sankranti, a harvest festival. Meanwhile, the state police have launched a search operation for the missing people. The State government has announced compensation of Rs 4 lakh for the deceased.

Some persons swam to safety, while some families were complaining of missing members, the SP said adding, a search operation is on. District magistrate Sanjay Kumar Aggarwal and the SP have reached the spot.

Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar has expressed grief over the boat tragedy and ordered a probe.

The CM instructed principal secretary of Health R K Mahajan and the Patna district magistrate to ensure proper treatment of the victims of the boat tragedy. Kumar has also instructed Principal Secretary of Disaster Management Pratyay Amrit and deputy inspector general&nbsp;Shalin to supervise relief and rescue operations and has ordered Patna district administration to provide ex-gratia to the family of the deceased.

According to eye-witnesses, at least 50-60 people were aboard the small boat, which drowned only a few metres away from the bank. &ldquo;The incident took place just before sunset. While few people swam their way across to the bank, several were feared trapped under the boat,&rdquo; he said.

The toll figures were likely to rise as several people were still missing, till the time of filing the report. An eye-witness said around 4pm, the sandbar jetty, from where people were boarding the boats, got damaged because of which several people were stranded across the river.

About 10 injured were admitted to the Patna Medical College and Hospital (PMCH) for treatment.

It may be mentioned that the Bihar government had organised a kite festival on the occasion of Makar Sankranti at the Sabbalpur bank off the NIT Ghat on Saturday. Such fests are being organised for the last several years by the state government at the venue.

Senior officials reached the spot for the rescue operations. Three NDRF teams of 130 personnel in all were also dispatched for the rescue ops late evening.

&nbsp;

(This report first appeared in DNA)

The boat was returning from a kite festival on the occasion of Makar Sankranti, a harvest festival

In a tragic incident, a boat capsized in the Ganga river near Patna in the northern Indian state of Bihar, According to ANI, at least 20 people have died in the accident.The accident took place when the boat,was about to reach the river bank. The boat was returning from a kite festival on the occasion of Makar Sankranti, a harvest festival. Meanwhile, the state police have launched a search operation for the missing people. The State government has announced compensation of Rs 4 lakh for the deceased. Some persons swam to safety, while some families were complaining of missing members, the SP said adding, a search operation is on. District magistrate Sanjay Kumar Aggarwal and the SP have reached the spot. Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar has expressed grief over the boat tragedy and ordered a probe. The CM instructed principal secretary of Health R K Mahajan and the Patna district magistrate to ensure proper treatment of the victims of the boat tragedy. Kumar has also instructed Principal Secretary of Disaster Management Pratyay Amrit and deputy inspector general Shalin to supervise relief and rescue operations and has ordered Patna district administration to provide ex-gratia to the family of the deceased. According to eye-witnesses, at least 50-60 people were aboard the small boat, which drowned only a few metres away from the bank. “The incident took place just before sunset. While few people swam their way across to the bank, several were feared trapped under the boat,” he said. The toll figures were likely to rise as several people were still missing, till the time of filing the report. An eye-witness said around 4pm, the sandbar jetty, from where people were boarding the boats, got damaged because of which several people were stranded across the river. About 10 injured were admitted to the Patna Medical College and Hospital (PMCH) for treatment. It may be mentioned that the Bihar government had organised a kite festival on the occasion of Makar Sankranti at the Sabbalpur bank off the NIT Ghat on Saturday. Such fests are being organised for the last several years by the state government at the venue. Senior officials reached the spot for the rescue operations. Three NDRF teams of 130 personnel in all were also dispatched for the rescue ops late evening. (This report first appeared in DNA)

India: At least 20 dead as boat capsizes in Ganga river near Patna

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Tragedy on the Ganga: Three dead, four missing after boat capsizes near Patna

India: At least 20 dead as boat capsizes in Ganga river near Patna