At least 23 people drowned and another 12 were feared dead when an overloaded boat capsized in the Ganga here on Saturday evening. The dead included men, women and children who had gone to a kite flying festival organised on the sandbar across the ghats.
The boat, designed to carry 25 people, was carrying at least 50 people when it overturned at 5.45pm. Seven people were rescued.
“The boat was overloaded and it capsized when it started from the diara side (Sabalpur),” said Manju Devi of Ranipur, one of the survivors of the tragedy, undergoing treatment at PMCH. Reports said chief minister Nitish Kumar ordered a prone into the accident and announced a payout of Rs 4 lakh for the victims’ families.