Bihar boat capsize: Rescue operation on, two more pulled out from Saryu river
Saran (Bihar) (PTI): Two more persons were pulled out from the Saryu River in Bihar's Saran district on Thursday, taking the total number of rescued people to 12 in the boat tragedy a day before, an official said.
The toll remained unchanged at two as no new body was recovered, Saran District Magistrate Aman Samir said.
"So far, 12 people have been rescued, including those who managed to swim to the river bank. Rescue operation is still on to trace the five missing persons," Samir told PTI.
The two deceased were women and identified as Phool Kumari and Chatthiya Devi. They were residents of Matiyar village.
The boat with 19 people on board capsized in the river on Wednesday evening near Matiyar Ghat in Manjhi block.
A probe is underway to ascertain the cause of the incident, the district magistrate said.
"The local administration has also initiated a process of providing an ex gratia of Rs 4 lakh to the next of kin of each deceased. Hopefully, the ex gratia amount will be handed over to the family members of the deceased by 12 noon," he said.
This was the second major incident of boat capsize in the state in the recent past.
More than 15 children were feared drowned after a boat carrying them capsized in the Bagmati River in Muzaffarpur district in September.
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Govt to set up Bureau of Port Security to boost port, vessel security
New Delhi (PTI): To beef up the security infrastructure of ports, the government will set up a statutory body -- the Bureau of Port Security -- that will ensure timely analysis, collection and exchange of security-related information of ports and vessels, officials said on Friday.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Thursday convened a meeting for the constitution of the dedicated body, the Bureau of Port Security (BoPS), which was attended by the Minister of Ports, Shipping and Waterways, Sarbananda Sonowal, and the Minister of Civil Aviation, Ram Mohan Naidu, an official statement said.
Emphasising that there is a need to establish a country-wide robust port security framework, Shah directed that security measures should be implemented in a graded and risk-based manner, taking into account vulnerabilities, trade potential, location, and other relevant parameters.
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The meeting also noted that lessons learned from the maritime security framework shall be replicated in the aviation security domain, the statement said.
The new body, modelled on the lines of the Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS), will be constituted as a statutory body under the new Merchant Shipping Act, 2025, and will work under the aegis of the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways (MoPSW), it said.
Headed by a senior IPS officer as its director general, the BoPS will be responsible for regulatory and oversight functions relating to the security of ships and port facilities.
"During the transition period of one year, the director general of shipping shall function as the director general of BoPS," the statement said.
"The BoPS will ensure timely analysis, collection and exchange of security-related information, with a special focus on cybersecurity, including a dedicated division to safeguard port IT infrastructure from digital threats," it said.
The government has designated the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) as a recognised security organisation (RSO), responsible for undertaking security assessments and preparation of security plans for port facilities.
The Central Armed Police Force (CAPF) will train and build the capacities of private security agencies (PSAs) engaged in port security.
"These agencies shall be certified and appropriate regulatory measures shall be introduced to ensure that only the licensed PSAs operate in this sector," the statement said.
