10 feared drowned after trucks on board freight vessel fall into Ganga

At least 10 people were feared drowned after a cargo vessel ferrying 14 trucks laden with stone chips tilted to one side, causing at least five of the trucks to fall into the river Ganga between Samda Ghat in Jharkhand’s Sahibganj and Manihari in Bihar’s Katihar district late Thursday night, police said.

At least 10 people were feared drowned after a cargo vessel ferrying 14 trucks laden with stone chips tilted to one side, causing at least five of the trucks to fall into the river Ganga between Samda Ghat in Jharkhand’s Sahibganj and Manihari in Bihar’s Katihar district late Thursday night, police said.

The cargo after the mishap. (HT Photo)

Sahibganj deputy commissioner (DM) Ram Niwas Yadav said a National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) team from Deoghar has been pressed into the rescue operation. “We are getting details of the missing persons. The incident will be probed,” he said.

“The commercial ferry service operates from sunrise to sunset. We are ascertaining the timing of this incident. Around 5-6 trucks are said to have fallen in the river after the ship tilted due to a technical snag,” the DC told reporters.

Amar Choudhary, the captain of the vessel, however, said the incident occurred after tyre of one of the trucks burst and the entire vessel tilted. “At least 10 people, including the drivers and cleaners of the trucks, are missing,” he said.

The incident was raised in the Jharkhand assembly on Friday by BJP legislators. “I have been raising this issue of illegal trade. In July 2021, I wrote to both Jharkhand and Bihar chief ministers, informing them about this illegal trade. I demand immediate suspension of Sahibganj DC and SP and a CBI probe into the incident,” said BJP legislature party leader Babulal Marandi.

When the state government did not yield, the BJP legislators trooped into the well, leading to adjournment of the House. Treasury bench members too demanded explanation from the government over the issue.

JMM legislator Lobin Hembrom supported the BJP allegation about stone chips being illegally transported.

Congress legislator Pradep Yadav said the government should follow the convention of informing the House about any major incident that occurs when assembly is in session.

Later, parliamentary affairs minister Alamgir Alam said a committee has been constituted by the government to probe the incident.