By Neeraj Kumar

Patna, May 20: A boat laden with vegetables overturned in the River Ganga at Mahavir Ghat in Maner, near Patna, on Sunday. There were 12 people on board. As the boat overturned, everyone began to drown. Fortunately, 10 people managed to swim to safety, but two remain missing. Upon receiving information about the incident, a police team promptly arrived at the scene and began rescue operations. The State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) team is continuously searching for the two missing individuals in the river.

According to reports, the labourers were returning after loading vegetables onto the boat. Near Mahavir Tola in Maner, the boat lost balance and capsized in the Ganga. Police Station in-charge Sunil Kumar Bhagat confirmed the incident, stating that there were 10 to 12 people on the boat, with two still missing. The SDRF team was deployed to the site immediately after receiving the information and commenced search operations.

Local villager Kamakhya Narayan Singh reported that the boat, laden with vegetables, overturned in the Ganga near Mahavir Tola Ganga Ghat. The passengers, who are farmers from Diara, were returning home with their produce when strong winds caused the boat to lose balance, leading to the accident. While 10 people managed to survive, two are still unaccounted for.

It is noteworthy that the Maner area of Patna district is known for its sand ghats, where boat accidents frequently occur. Whether due to overloading vegetables or illegal mining activities, such incidents are common in the region.

The author Neeraj Kumar is a journalist based in Patna