Search operations for missing family continues in Assam

Search operations by Army, NDRF and SDRF teams continued Monday for five members of a family who went missing after their vehicle fell into the Dikhow river in Assam's Sivsagar district, officials said.

The search teams are yet to locate the car or its occupants because of the strong undercurrent in Dikhow river which is on a spate and muddy water was blocking the vision of the divers under water, a state government release said.

Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal has spoken to the Prime Minister's office and the Union Home Ministry regarding the search and rescue operation of the missing family, the release said Monday.

The chief minister has also taken up the matter with National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) and the Defence Ministry for help, it said.

A total of 32 deep divers are engaged in the rescue operation. Divers are going as deep as 40 ft in some areas and ten boats have been pressed into service, it said.

The search teams include three teams from the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), six teams from the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), one each from Dibrugarh and Sivasagar, apart from one team from the Para Commando of the Indian Army.

A team of eight Indian Navy divers with equipment from Visakhapatnam will be joining shortly in the search operation, the release said.

Five members of a family are missing after their vehicle fell into a river in Sivasagar district of upper Assam Saturday evening.

The family was travelling from Sivasagar to Guwahati when their vehicle plunged into the Dikhow river after breaking a dyke at Gaurisagar Dikhowmukh, the sources said.

They five were identified as Haren Bora, his wife Phunu Bora, daughters Simpi Bora and Munmi Bora, and mother Ponou Bora.