The death toll in the boat tragedy here mounted to 38 with 16 more bodies being fished out from Ganga today while the search has been called off.
Of the 38 victims, 25 were women and children, Director General of Police Neelmani told PTI, adding that a team of the National Disaster Response Force and local divers fished out 16 more bodies from the river till this afternoon.
The search was called off as no one else was missing, he said.
The bodies have been handed over to relatives after autopsy on the spot, official sources said.
An estimated 42 people were sailing in the boat from adjoining Balia in UP to Dalupur in Bihar when it was caught in a whirlpool and sank in Brahmapur police station area here last evening.
Official sources said the dependants of each of the deceased would be given a compensation of Rs 1.5 lakh in keeping with the rules framed by the State government.
The district authorities have given Rs 10,000 to each of the bereaved families for cremation.
