Boat carrying 50 people capsizes in Bihar; 1 body recovered, 7 missing

The incident took place in Naugachia police district, around 30 km from here, when agricultural labourers were crossing a river by a boat to go to their fields, Bhagalpur District Magistrate Pranav Kumar said.

A boat carrying nearly 50 people capsized in Bihar’s Bhagalpur district on Thursday, killing a 40-year-old woman, while seven others were feared drowned, officials said.

Rescue operations underway after a boat capsized in the Naugachhia area of Bhagalpur district on Thursday. (PTI Photo)

The remaining people on the boat either swam to safety or were rescued by SDRF personnel, a senior official said.

The incident took place in Naugachia police district, around 30 km from here, when agricultural labourers were crossing a river by a boat to go to their fields, Bhagalpur District Magistrate Pranav Kumar said.

“One body has been recovered so far. She has been identified as Sunaina Devi, a resident of Tintanga in Gopalpur police station area in Naugachia. Seven people are still missing,” the DM told PTI.

A team of the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) has reached the spot and efforts were on to recover the seven missing persons, he added.