Jharkhand: Boat Overturns in Ganga River; One Dead, Three Missing After Rat-Hunting Expedition

A major accident occurred in the Ganga River in Jharkhand’s Sahibganj district. A boat carrying numerous passengers capsized, resulting in casualties. The boat, carrying a total of 31 individuals, overturned in the river. Four people drowned in the incident; one body has been recovered, and three are still missing. Twenty-seven passengers managed to survive by swimming through the river’s strong currents. The accident happened in the Gadai Diara area, within the Ganga River police station limits. According to reports, approximately 17 tribal youths from a village near the Binduvasini temple and a mountain in the Barharwa block, about 70 kilometers from the Sahibganj district headquarters, had gone to catch rats. They crossed the Ganga River via boat from Maharajpur Ganga Ghat. While returning, other local people boarded the same boat, exceeding its capacity to 31 individuals. The boat became unbalanced amidst the strong and turbulent waves of the river and capsized in the Ganga’s flow. Panic ensued after the boat overturned. Some youths present courageously jumped into the Ganga to rescue the drowning passengers, but they were unsuccessful. One of the four drowned youths was recovered, but unfortunately, he had already perished. The remaining three youths are still unaccounted for, and local divers and the administration are working to find them.