Watch: Patna boat tragedy: 25 confirmed dead, many still missing; search on

At least 25 people were confirmed dead and several others were still missing at noon on Sunday after an overloaded boat capsized in the Ganga near Patna the previous evening. Eyewitnesses indicated lapses on the part of the state government could be responsible for the incident.

The disaster management team, which had been pressed into action for search and rescue operations, has recovered 25 bodies from the river so far. About a dozen passengers who had been injured were admitted to the Patna Medical College and Hospital. 

The incident occurred when people were returning from Makar Sankranti celebrations from Sabbalpur diara (islets) in the river. A kite-flying celebration was organised on diara by the Bihar State Tourism Development Corporation. However, more than 10,000 people reached the venue which was more than what the event organisers had expected. Moreover, the government boats stopped ferrying people after 4 pm. It led to a chaotic situation on the islets, as people tried to force their way on private boats. Designed to carry 25-30 passengers at most, private boats are believed to have ferried 60-70 people because of the rush. Meanwhile, the security personnel did nothing to control the people, according to the survivors.  

The survivors said the boat leaked mid-stream and started sinking near the NIT ghat in Patna. Some survivors were able to swim to safety, while local residents saved several others. Still, many others died in the incident. According to relatives of passengers, around 12 people are still missing.

Manu Maharaj, Senior Superintendent of Police, Patna, said overcrowding seemed to be the primary reason for the incident. Meanwhile, Patna District Magistrate Sanjay Agarwal said the rush to the islet was because of an unauthorised fair, which was set up on the part that fell into the Saran district. An FIR has been lodged against the operators of the boat and the organisers of the fair.    

“It was a big event, but only one ambulance was made available for it. Only a handful of security personnel and no lifeguards were on the ghat. The boats were overcrowded and there was no one to stop them. The security system was not accurate. It took senior officials more than an hour to reach the NIT ghat, which is only a kilometre away from the District Collectorate,” said a local resident.

Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar has ordered a probe into the incident. A team of NDRF has been deployed for the rescue operations. The state government have also announced Rs 4 lakh compensation to be given to the kin of the deceased. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, meanwhile, has announced an ex-gratia of Rs 2 lakh for the kin o the deceased. "PM expressed grief on the loss of lives caused by the boat tragedy in Bihar. He extended condolences to the bereaved families," PM's office said in a tweet.