Patna, August 26: A tragic incident occurred in Bhagalpur district, Bihar, where a boat carrying 21 workers capsized while conducting anti-erosion work along the banks of the Ganges River. While 19 individuals were rescued, two remain unaccounted for.
The accident took place in the Raghopur block of the Naugachia sub-division. The workers on board hailed from areas such as Ghogha, Ismailpur, and Parbatta.
Upon receiving news of the incident, local authorities and police quickly arrived at the scene, deploying a team from the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) equipped with motorboats and life jackets to initiate a search operation.
Local divers and villagers also assisted the officials in the rescue efforts.
According to the latest update from District Magistrate Alankrita Pandey, the SDRF team successfully rescued 19 individuals, while two individuals named Sikandar Mandal and Badal Mandal are still missing. The search operation is ongoing.
DM Pandey visited the accident site to assess the rescue and flood control operations.
In response to the boat accident, the Bhagalpur administration has adopted a strict stance. Taking the alleged violation of safety regulations seriously, the DM has instructed the Water Resources Department to file cases against the relevant contractors and vendors.
The work was being overseen by contractor Rajkumar Singh under the Water Resources Department.
The DM stated that prior instructions had been issued to ensure that workers on boats are provided with life jackets and are required to wear them.
Authorities believe that the failure to adhere to these safety regulations led to the accident, prompting action against those responsible.
Following this incident, the administration has prohibited the use of boats for transporting materials during flood control operations. Instead, tractors will be used to deliver geo-bags to erosion-prone areas.
Officials have also been directed to strictly enforce safety regulations during all flood control and erosion prevention activities.
The DM clarified that no individual under the age of 18 will be permitted to participate in this hazardous work.
Engineers have been instructed to expedite erosion control efforts, especially since the water level of the Ganges remains near dangerous levels.
Raghopur is the ancestral village of Bihar’s Energy Minister Shailesh Kumar, also known as Bulo Mandal.
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