Assam Ferry Tragedy: Search Opns On to Trace 2 Missing Person

NDRF, SDRF and river police teams continued its search operations on Friday to track the two missing persons in the Brahmaputra after two boats collided in Nimatighat on Wednesday evening.

An Assam State Disaster Management Authority (ASDMA) official said that, search and rescue operations are underway in different locations from Nimati Ghat in Jorhat district to Biswanath Ghat.

"Apart from NDRF, SDRF teams, river police are also engaged in the search operation in different locations," the ASDMA official said while quoted by India Today.

The boat ferrying 90 passengers capsized on the Brahmaputra in the Nimati Ghat after it collided with another boat coming from the opposite direction.

A 30-year-old woman lecturer, Parimita Das died and 87 people were rescued so far.

Two people identified as Jaan (Indreswar) Bora of Lakhimpur and Dr Bikramjit Baruah of Jorhat are still missing.

Meanwhile, locals recovered a bag from the Brahmaputra River at Biswanath Ghat in Biswanath district on Friday. Documents including voter card, Aadhar card, PAN card of one Ruprekha Bora were found inside the bag.

Local MLA Promod Borthakur said a fisherman had found the bag in the river and later handed it over to the police.

"In the recovered documents, we have seen that Ruprekha Bora is wife of Indreswar Bora, one of the persons who is still missing," Promod Borthakur said.

Union Minister Sarbananda Sonowal visited Majuli on Friday and took stock of the situation. He assured the people of the river island that construction of the bridge connecting Majuli to Jorhat will be completed in the next four years.

Sarbananda Sonowal also met with the family of Dr Bikramjit Baruah, who went missing in the boat capsize incident.

He also visited Nimatighat where the accident took place.

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