Boat sinks in Assam river after colliding with ferry; several feared dead
Jorhat/Guwahati, Sep 8: Several people are feared dead as a large boat sank in the Brahmaputra river after colliding with a ferry near Nimati Ghat in Jorhat district of Assam on Wednesday, officials said.
The collision occurred when the private boat 'Ma Kamala' was headed to Majuli from Nimati Ghat and the government-owned ferry 'Tripkai' was coming from Majuli.
"The boat 'Ma Kamala' capsized and then sank. We do not have much detail at this moment," an official of the Inland Water Transport (IWT) Department said.
Another IWT official said more than 120 passengers were on board the boat, but many of them were rescued by 'Tripkai' which is owned by the department.
Jorhat Deputy Commissioner Ashok Barman told PTI that 41 people have been rescued so far and no body has been found yet.
"We cannot say right now how many people have died," a senior official of Jorhat district administration said.
Personnel of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and SDRF have started a search and rescue operation.
The boat was also carrying several four-wheelers and two-wheelers that went down the river.
Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma expressed concern over the accident and directed the district administrations of Majuli and Jorhat to undertake the rescue mission expeditiously with the help of NDRF and SDRF.
He also asked minister Bimal Bora to rush to the site of the accident.
Sarma asked Principal Secretary to Chief Minister Samir Kumar Sinha to monitor the developments round-the-clock.
"The Chief Minister himself will visit Nimati Ghat tomorrow for evaluating the situation," a CMO statement said.
#UPDATE | Boat accident in Brahmputra river, Assam: There were around 50 people in the boat which met with the accident, out of which 40 people have been rescued, says Jorhat Additional DC Damodar Barman
— ANI (@ANI) September 8, 2021
Resue teams on the spot. pic.twitter.com/drcMOWTGVW
I am pained at the tragic boat accident near Nimati Ghat, Jorhat.
— Himanta Biswa Sarma (@himantabiswa) September 8, 2021
Directed Majuli & Jorhat admin to undertake rescue mission expeditiously with help of @NDRFHQ & SDRF. Advising Min @BimalBorahbjp to immediately rush to the accident site. I'll also visit Nimati Ghat tomorrow.
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
Op Sindoor paused as politico-military objective achieved; no pressure to stop: Rajnath in LS
New Delhi (PTI): Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Monday said in the Lok Sabha that Operation Sindoor was "paused" as the armed forces had achieved the desired politico-military objectives and asserted that there was "no pressure" to end it.
If Pakistan indulges in fresh misadventure, it will resume again, the minister said in his opening remarks on the special debate on Pahalgam terror strikes and Operation Sindoor in the lower house.
He said the armed forces are ever vigilant to defend India's borders and the military operation was an effective and well-coordinated strike against nine terror sites.
Seven terror camps were fully destroyed and India has proof of the damage incurred inside PoK and Pakistan, Singh told the House.
The entire operation was over in 22 minutes and the Pahalgam killings were avenged. The attacks, he asserted, were non-escalatory in nature.
"Before executing Operation Sindoor, our forces studied every aspect and chose the option that would cause maximum damage to terrorists while ensuring no harm to innocent civilians," Singh said.
He underlined that to say or believe that Operation Sindoor was stopped under any pressure is baseless and completely incorrect.
It was the director general of Pakistan's director general of military operation who requested his Indian counterpart to end the strikes.
Singh's statement comes against the backdrop of US President Donald TRump's 'ceasefire' claims.
The minister said the objective was not to cross borders or take over territory but to target terrorist camps, their supporters and to destroy them. He asserted that no innocent civilian was targeted in the military strikes.
Pakistan could not hit our targets and there was no damage to any of our important assets, he noted. He pointed out that India managed to get proof of the damages incurred in PoK and Pakistan.
"Operation Sindoor symbol of our strength... demonstrated that India will not remain silent if anyone harms its citizens," Singh said.
India first extends hand of friendship, but it also knows how to twist the wrist if any country betrays it, he said.
_vb_57.jpeg)
