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Patna Boat Accident: At least 18 Drown, Several Missing; Nitish Orders Probe

CNN-News18

First published: January 14, 2017, 7:26 PM IST | Updated: 4 mins ago

A TV grab of relatives grieving the accident

Patna: At least fifteen people are presumed dead due to drowning and many are missing after a boat carrying 40 people capsized near the banks of Ganga in Patna on Saturday, Police said.

The incident took place around 6pm, when the boat was returning from a kite flying festival that was organised in an island in the middle of the river as part of Makar Sankranti celebration, rescue officials added.

Some of the passengers were able to swim to safety but many continue to be missing, the officials said.

NDRF has been rushed to the spot and rescue operations are on in full swing.

A boat carrying 40 people capsizes in river Ganga in Patna (Bihar). Rescue operations underway. pic.twitter.com/HfyKQ6jiUm

— ANI (@ANI_news) January 14, 2017

According to sources, it was a small boat which was overloaded with people.

The boat was about to reach the bank when it capsized.

Rescue operations are on to trace the missing passengers.

Reacting to the incident Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar expressed grief and asked the officials to fasten the rescue operations.

गंगा दियारा में नाव डूबने की घटना दुखद. विभागों को बचाव व राहत कार्य में तेज़ी लाने का निर्देश.https://t.co/rTsLT33wKF

— Nitish Kumar (@NitishKumar) January 14, 2017

Bihar BJP leader Sushil Modi too expressed sadness over the incident.

Most unfortunate that many people drowned in Ganga on Makar Sankranti .

— Sushil Kumar Modi (@SushilModi) January 14, 2017