Guwahati, June 19: A crowded passenger boat capsized in the Brahmaputra near Peradhara char in Assam’s Nalbari district on Thursday morning, leaving at least three people missing, including two schoolchildren. The tragedy has reignited outrage over poor safety enforcement on the state’s inland waterways.
The accident occurred around 7:45 AM as the single-engine vessel was ferrying more than 100 passengers from Nadia Char to Larkuchi Paradhara Parghat under Barkhetri Revenue Circle. Eyewitnesses say the boat was severely overcrowded and had no life jackets or safety equipment onboard.
The boat overturned mid-channel, plunging passengers into the river. Three people were rescued alive, but search operations continue for the missing, which include a 50-year-old man and two minors.
Rescue teams from the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) and National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) were immediately mobilized. However, no bodies had been recovered at the time of reporting. “We’re halting the operation for the night due to poor visibility. It will resume at daybreak,” said NDRF Inspector Brahmadev Yadav, who led the rescue operation.
Locals claim the number of missing may exceed three, but district officials have officially confirmed only three so far. “Final figures will be clear only after rescue efforts conclude,” said a senior official from the Nalbari administration.
The Muslim Students Union of Assam (MSUA) slammed the administration for repeated failures to enforce river transport safety. “These boats operate daily without life jackets or oversight. Overcrowding is rampant. Yet authorities only act after lives are lost,” said MSUA president Jalal Uddin. He demanded immediate action, compensation for families, and a permanent safety overhaul of ferry operations.
The MSUA has also called for uninterrupted rescue efforts and accountability from the Nalbari police and SDRF.
An NDRF spokesperson said, “Our team carried out an extensive search across a 9-kilometre stretch of the river, both upstream and downstream, but the missing persons could not be located.”
He added, “The operation was called off for the day by district authorities. The team has been stationed at the Mukalmua PWD Inspection Bungalow in Nalbari and will resume the search for the drowning victims early tomorrow morning.”
