Two minor girls were reported missing in the Gandak river after a boat carrying 15 villagers — most of them women — capsized in West Champaran on Monday evening.
Mukesh Kumar, Circle Officer (CO), Bairiya, said the incident occurred when a group of villagers was travelling from the Diara area to Bairiya. “As per information available with us, two minor girls are missing, while others have been rescued. We are looking into the matter,” the CO said.
However, survivors told the media that the mishap occurred after their boat collided with a stationary vessel in the river. “The boatman failed to spot it and rammed into it. As a result, all of us were thrown into the river,” survivors were quoted as saying.
The missing girls have been identified as Punita Kumari (17) and Sugi Kumari (8), both residents of Koirpatti in Bairiya block.