One person died while about eight others are feared drowned after a country boat

Kendrapara:2/1/19: One person died while about eight others are feared drowned after a country boat, carrying more than 40 picnickers, capsized at Balighat near Nepania in Patkura block of Odisha’s Kendrapara district on Wednesday evening.

According to sources, about 40-45 people, mostly women and children, from Mangarajpur in Kujang block of Jagatsinghpur district had gone to the lighthouse at Hukitola for a picnic in the morning in a country boat. While returning, the boatman lost control over the boat which capsized at Balighat near Nepania at the Mahanadi confluence.

Fortunately, some local fishermen were returning to the shore when the accident took place and they rushed to rescue of the passengers. They could bring about 30 of them ashore.

Till reports last came in, death of one person has been confirmed while about 7-8 passengers are reportedly missing.

Since the incident took place late in the evening and owing to the rough condition of the sea, the local fishermen had to abandon the search.

Meanwhile, a team of Forest staff accompanied by a medical team rushed to the spot and admitted the rescued passengers to a nearby primary health centre (PHC).

Talking to the media over phone, Kendrapara collector Dasarathi Satpathy said he and the sub-collector have already left for the accident spot.

While the Fire Brigade teams have begun the search operation, the district administration has sent an SOS to the state government to immediately send a team of ODRAF personnel to expedite the rescue work, he added.

Sources said that the country boat was carrying the passengers more than its capacity.