25 Drown in Boat Accidents in Kosi

Patna: July 23, 2008

Nearly two dozen people perished when, in two separate incidents, two boats capsized in Purnia and Supaul districts on Wednesday in the swollen Kosi River, officials in Patna said.

In the first incident, an over-loaded boat turned over near Kanpaghat village in Purnia district drowning 8 persons. More than two dozen others were reported to be missing.

In another incident, 11 people including 4 children died when their boat carrying 30 passengers capsized in the Kosi River near Nirmali village in Supaul district.

The district officials had pressed divers in the area to search for any survivor and to pull out any victim though strong current in the river was making the rescue mission extremely difficult to carry out, SDO Jitendra Kumar Singh said.