In Sadiya boat turn over in river, 26 passengers managed to escape

Tinsukia: Twenty-six passengers on board an engine boat had a narrow escape after the boat capsized in the Dibang river in Assam’s Tinsukia district on Wednesday evening, prompting administration and top police officials to rush to the spot.

The passengers were rescued by local people.
The incident took place when the boat was ferrying passengers from Chapakhowa under Sadiya sub-division to the banks of Amarpur river, which is about 90 km east of Tinsukia town.

“No casualty has been reported yet,” Tinsukia Deputy Commissioner Swapneel Paul told this correspondent.
A DDMA source said that according to preliminary information, the boat was going from Chapakhowa to the banks of Amarpur river. “When it was about to reach the bank around 4.30 pm, the boat hit an uprooted tree and overturned.”
“On hearing the sound, the locals immediately jumped into the river and rescued all the passengers,” the source added, adding, “Three four-wheelers and two motorcycles are still submerged in the river.”

A team of the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) has reached the spot and is trying to recover the vehicle, sources said.
However, it is unclear whether the boat was overcrowded and life jackets were in place.

Attempts to speak to the sub-divisional officer-in-charge of Sadiya Madhurjiya Buragohain were inconclusive.