A total of three people lost their lives and four others went missing after a country boat ferrying 14 passengers capsized in the Ganga River near Sultanpur Diara in Bihar’s Samastipur district on Thursday morning, officials reported. According to officials, the tragedy unfolded in the Mohiuddin Nagar block area when the passengers were on their way back from agricultural fields after harvesting vegetables.

In the aftermath of the incident, rescue teams from both Patna and Samastipur districts launched a massive rescue operation, and ended up rescuing seven people.

All passengers hail from Masoomganj Bind Toli

Officials aware of the incident said the passengers travelling in the ferry were residents of Masoomganj Bind Toli under the Barh police station limits in Patna district. The group had crossed the river in the early hours of Thursday to work in parwal (pointed gourd) fields situated at Sultanpur Diara and were heading back to Imanath Ghat with vegetables loaded onto the boat when it capsized.

Mohiuddin Nagar Circle Officer Brijesh Kumar Dwivedi said that three people have died so far, while four others are still missing. He added that two men and one woman were among the ones who died, and their identities have been ascertained.

Mishap attributed to strong winds, engine failure

As per initial reports issued by the district administration, the incident transpired at around 5:45 am. Authorities said that strong winds in the middle of the river caused the boat to overturn near Sultanpur Diara.

Later, the Sub-divisional officer (SDO) of Barh, Garima Lohiya said that the boat’s engine failure may also have contributed to the mishap. The disaster management department personnel, local cops and administrative officials lent contributions in the rescue operation. Senior officers, including the Barh SDO and the Deputy Superintendent of Police, were present at the site to supervise the rescue operation.

Locals gather at site post-incident

As news of the accident spread across nearby villages, hundreds of panic-stricken residents and relatives gathered at the Umanath Ghat, hoping for updates on the missing passengers.