Govt not sure how many people were on ferry

"According to our report, around 40 people are missing. However, local people have said that the ferry was carrying more than 350 passengers," Dhurbi Superintendent of Police Pradip Chandra Saloi told PTI.

"As for the 40 missing their death cannot be ruled out. At the same time, we have to keep in mind that some people may have swam ashore and not have reported back to authorities," Saloi said.

Senior officials at the Chief Minister's Office said only 40 bodies were recovered, while 80 persons swam to safety.

Despite intense search and rescue mission launched jointly by the NDRF, Army, the BSF and police, not a single body was recovered since morning.

 

Rescue workers blamed the swift current in the Bramhaputra and the inclement weather, compounded by incessant rain, hampering search work.

Local people, however, claimed that the ferry was carrying upward of 350-400 people, much more than the permissible limit and alleged that the state government wanted to keep the official toll at a minimum. PTI SB PPB PC HKS