Assam: One dead, nearly 40 feared drowned after two boats collide in Brahmaputra

A woman has died after a private boat capsized in the Brahmaputra river near Nimati Ghat in Assam’s Jorhat district after a head-on collision with a ferry boat on Wednesday, reported ANI. In total, both the boats had around 120 passengers.

A National Disaster Response Force official said that there were 70 passengers on the boat that capsized and efforts are on to rescue them. The Army will join the rescue operations on Thursday, Jorhat Deputy Commissioner Ashok Barman told the Hindustan Times.

NDRF assistant commandant of 12 Battalion said that around 35 to 40 people were feared drowned in the incident and at least 35 passengers have been rescued so far, reported News18. Earlier, it was reported that over 100 passengers have been rescued.

The deceased has been identified as 38-year-old teacher Paromita Das, who died at Jorhat Medical College.

The ferry boat of the Assam’s Inland Water Transport department was coming from Majuli district to Nimati Ghat, while the other boat was headed in the opposite direction when the collision took place.

A video of the incident showed some passengers trying to hold on to the boat as it was capsizing, while others jumped into the river.

#AssamBoatmishap
🔶02 boats collided
🔸carrying approx 120 psngrs
🔶#Nimatighat to Majuli ferry
🔶Many missing-NumberTBC
🔶@NDRFHQ started Ops
🔸State agencies also present @PMOIndia @HMOIndia@PIBHomeAffairs @CMOfficeAssam@PIB_Guwahati @ANI pic.twitter.com/bjinmwcZva

— ѕαtчα prαdhαnसत्य नारायण प्रधान ସତ୍ଯପ୍ରଧାନ-DG NDRF (@satyaprad1) September 8, 2021

The Assam government has…

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