Malda boat capsize toll rises to 9

With the recovery of seven bodies today, the toll in the boat capsize in Malda district of West Bengal rose to nine, official sources said.
Thirty-one people had swam to safety and six others were rescued by the local people, Malda District Magistrate G Kiran Kumar told PTI.
Among the persons rescued by the locals, five persons were admitted to a Manikchak hospital and one person was shifted to Malda Medical College and Hospital.
Of the nine dead, six were males, two females and one was a 12-year-old boy, he said.
The boat and the boatman were not traceable, he said.

The boat carrying around 50-55 people, mostly daily labourers and farmers, capsized in the midstream of the river Ganga after it left Dharampur for the char (riverine island), yesterday.
Five rescue teams, including a 35-member Disaster Management Team from Kolkata, were on the job, he said.
Rescue operations were continuing, he said.