Ten Dead in Boat Accident in Katihar
Katihar: Aug. 24, 2007
Flood took ten more lives in Bihar on Friday morning when a boat carrying over 30 people in Katihar district under Manihari police station capsized in the flood water dumping all of its occupants, including 3 children and some women, into deep water, officials in Katihar said.
The accident took place around 8:00 am after the boat picked up 31 passengers from Bangali Tola under Kantakosh Panchayat to transport them to a nearby railway station.
With strong current and high wind, the boat lost its balance and tipped over ejecting the passengers in deep water. While 21 managed to swim back to safety, ten persons including 3 children drowned in the river.
The divers managed to pull out eight victims but two were still said to be missing, officials said.
District Magistrate P. M. Thakur, Superintendent of Police (SP) Kishore Yadav, Manihari SDO, and other officials were said to be monitoring the situation.
The government has announced Rs. 50,000 cash award to the family of each victim, the District Magistrate said.
Meanwhile, in Muzaffarpur district, workers and engineers managed to contain the flow of water, at least for the time being, by repairing the Dumaria dam that had threatened to devour Muzaffarpur last Thursday after developing major cracks in it.
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