Kishanganj, Aug 12: At least 29 bodies have been recovered from the site of the boat tragedy in swollen Kankai river here yesterday, as search operations resumed this morning to locate other missing persons with the help of local divers. Rescue operations that got stalled in absence of proper lighting arrangements last night have resumed this morning with locals picking up six more bodies lying ashore the river, police sources told a news agency. At least 40 people were feared killed when the midstream yesterday. Most of the victims were women and children. The bodies were fished out from the water at different Ghats under Terha Gachh block in the district, sources said.
Meanwhile, Union Textile Minister Syed Shahnawaz Hussain visited Biwiganj police station where badly decomposed bodies of the victims were kept for post-mortem before handing them over to their relatives. Hussain urged the state government to make an ex-gratia payment of Rs two lakh to each of the bereaved families.
Hussain held the district authorities responsible for the accident. "Biwiganj is a government Ghat... Had the official posted there objected to overloading of passengers on such a small boat, the mishap could have been averted," he said criticising the administration for "poor rescue operations."
Bureau Report