Boat Capsize Death Toll Rises To 20

Bardhaman: One more body was fished out on Tuesday, taking the total death count to 20 in last week’s boat capsize in the Hoogly river in West Bengal’s Burdwan district, an official said.

An overcrowded boat sank last Saturday night near the Kalna Ghat in Burdwan while on its way to Shantipur in Nadia district. Twenty people, including six children and nine women, have so far been fished out from the river.

“So far 20 bodies have been recovered, they include six children,” said Saumitra Mohan, district Magistrate of Burdwan. He added that search operations were underway.  The state government has announced an ex-gratia of Rs 2 lakh each for the kin of the victims.

On Sunday, Nrisinghapur Ghat jetty in Shantipur was witness to violence after an angry mob upset over alleged delay in rescue operations, set on fire boats and pelted stones at police, injuring two of them. Police had to fire tear gas shells to disperse the mob. Several people have been arrested or detained for violence.

Meanwhile, the police have initiated a probe into the incident, based on a complaint lodged by Kalna municipality against the ferry service authorities. Kalna Municipality Chairman Debo Prasad Nag, in a police complaint, has alleged that Ranjit Modak — the man behind the operation of ferry services between Kalna and Shantipur — had violated his agreement with the civic body.

He alleged that Modak — who is absconding — had failed to ensure standard safety measures, including keeping a speed boat on stand-by. Moreover, according to their agreement, ferry services should have been suspended in case of bad weather and the boat was supposed to carry ropes and at least four tubes to help people keep afloat in case of an accident.

Search operations for other missing persons are still on in Nadia and Bardhaman. “The search operations will continue till we are satisfied that nobody is missing. There can be people missing about whom no report has been filed. So we need to continue the search operation for that,” Bardhaman SP Gaurab Sharma said.