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Boat tragedy: all bodies traced

CUTTACK: The Cuttack district administration, particularly the police and the divers engaged in tracing of missing persons of Monday’s boat capsize near Dhabaleswar temple here, heaved a sigh of relief when two remaining bodies were seen floating in river waters on Wednesday morning.

“Bodies of all the five persons who went missing after the boat tragedy are now retrieved and handed over to their family members,” said Cuttack rural SP R.K. Mishra.

While three bodies were fished out on Tuesday, the other two were seen floating in the waters.

The overcrowded country boat capsized midstream when over 30 devotees were crossing the river. Sources said the damaged boat apparently lost control when the boatman and his assistant were collecting fares from the passengers in the mid-stream.

Meanwhile, a police case was registered against the boatman and his assistant in the local Gurudijhatia police station. But the police are yet to make any arrests as the accused are absconding.

“The boatmen are from the local Mancheswar village and they are absconding,” the Superintendent of Police said adding that efforts were on to track the accused persons.

Mr. Mishra pointed out that although, ferrying of passengers in country boats were banned at the ghats near the famous Shiva temple, the accused boatmen had collected the passengers from outside and was ferrying illegally.

He said police and magistrates were deployed at the ghats to ensure that no country boats ferry passengers.

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