The toll in the boat capsize in Odisha’s Jharsuguda district rose to seven with the recovery of five more bodies on Saturday, an official said.
Personnel of the Odisha Disaster Rapid Action Force and Fire Services, who launched a search operation immediately after the boat capsized on Friday, recovered five more bodies from the Mahanadi river, he said.
Two bodies were fished out earlier and seven people were missing.
“Five more bodies were recovered from the Hirakud reservoir of the river,” the official said.
The bodies were sent for post-mortem examinations, he said.
“Five scuba divers fitted with cameras in their headgear joined the search operation and spotted the bodies of two women and three boys,” the official said, adding that the search operation is still underway.
The incident took place when around 50 passengers hailing from Kharsia area in the neighbouring Chhattisgarh were returning in the boat after visiting a temple in Patharseni Kuda in Odisha's Bargarh district.
The boat capsized as it was about to reach Sarada Ghat in Rengali police station in Jharsuguda district, a police officer said.
Local fishermen rescued 35 passengers and brought them to the bank, he said, adding that police and fire services personnel rescued seven more passengers.
The IG said four teams have been formed and at least five scuba divers along with two underwater search cameras deployed in the search operation.
Lal said personnel of ODRAF (Odisha Disaster Rapid Action Force) has also been engaged in the operation.
While Chief Secretary P K Jena and Special Relief Commissioner (SRC) Satyabrata Sahu have been monitoring the rescue and relief operation from Bhubaneswar, revenue divisional commissioner (RDC), Jharsuguda district collector and SP are present at the river bank and supervising the operation.
The scuba divers and underwater search cameras were taken to the site through a special flight from Bhubaneswar.
Odisha CM announces ex-gratia
Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik has announced an ex-gratia amount of ₹4 lakh for the next of kin of the deceased.
Local Bargarh MP and senior BJP leader Suresh Pujari, who reached the spot, alleged, "The boat was operating without a valid license. It was not accorded fitness certificate by the authority concerned and there was no life guard on it."
The Bargarh MP also claimed that the boat was overcrowded and ferrying around 50 people much beyond its capacity.
Meanwhile, district authorities said that the incident will be probed but at present, priority was to rescue the missing persons.
President Murmu condoles loss of life
President Droupadi Murmu on Saturday said she is distressed to learn about the loss of lives in a boat accident in Odisha and offered her condolences to the bereaved families.
“Distressed to learn that the capsize of a boat in the Mahanadi river near Jharsuguda, Orissa, led to the loss of many lives. My heartfelt condolences to the bereaved families. I pray for a speedy recovery of all those affected by the tragedy,” President Murmu said in a post on X.
