Four Feared Drowned in Boat Capsize on Ganga in Patna’s Barh

Patna: Seventeen members of the same family drowned after a boat capsized in the Ganga river in Patna. The family, residents of Nalanda, were related to a retired National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) officer. Thirteen people have been rescued, while four remain missing, including the retired officer.

The missing individuals have been identified as Awadhesh Kumar, 60, from Malti village in Nalanda district; his brother-in-law Hardev Prasad, 65; Hardev Prasad’s son Nitish Kumar, 30; and a villager, Manju Devi, 45.

The tragedy occurred after the family traveled to Barh in Patna to perform a purification ritual in the Ganga following a death in the family. They had taken a boat from Barh’s Umanath Ghat to Diara. The accident happened during their return journey after bathing.

The ghat was crowded due to the Ganga Dussehra festival, prompting the family to go to the other side of the river to bathe.

Upon receiving news of the capsized boat, Barh SDM Shubham Kumar and his team initiated a search operation. The SDRF team is actively searching for the missing individuals.

Awadhesh Kumar’s nephew, Alok Kumar, a technician at SAIL’s Asansol plant, was also on the boat and has been rescued. He reported that there were 16-17 people on the boat, including eight from his household and the rest from neighboring families. He described how the boat began to fill with water, which the boatman failed to remove. The boat’s engine was turned off mid-journey, exacerbating the situation.

SDM Shubham Kumar confirmed that 17 family members were on the boat. He added that the SDRF team is focused on locating the missing persons. Reports indicate that the boat was over capacity, with women and children among the passengers.

Experts suggest that these boats typically have a maximum capacity of 8-10 people, but operators often exceed this limit, especially when transporting groups. Additionally, operators sometimes turn off the engine to save fuel, relying on residual engine force and wind to reach the shore. This practice, along with the boat’s age, increases the risk of water ingress and capsizing.

On Ganga Dussehra, large crowds of devotees gathered to bathe in the Ganga, with many boats ferrying people across the river. Amidst this activity, the boat in question lost control and capsized in the middle of the river.

The investigation into the incident is ongoing.