No trace of six missing as search enters second day after Brahmaputra boat tragedy

Rescue teams are yet to locate any of the six people who went missing after a machine-operated country boat sank in the Brahmaputra river in Assam’s Barpeta district, even as search operations entered their second day on January 28.

Despite round-the-clock efforts by multiple agencies, there has been no breakthrough so far. Barpeta Revenue Circle Field Officer Jyotirmoy Choudhury said the situation remained unchanged. “So far, there is no news about the missing people. Experts are working very hard to find them,” he said.

The National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) joined the ongoing operation on Wednesday, supplementing teams from the police, civil administration and the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), which had launched rescue efforts immediately after the incident on Tuesday afternoon.

The accident occurred when the boat, carrying 22 passengers, was travelling from Rahampur to Borghul char, a riverine island. According to officials, the vessel encountered a whirlpool and capsized midstream.

“When the boat was sailing, it reportedly came into contact with a whirlpool and sank. Most of the people were rescued by a nearby boat,” Choudhury had said earlier.

At least six people, including four children, were swept away by the strong current. The missing have been identified as Madhu Mia (60), Sukurjan Nesa (45), Amina Parbin (8), Rahul Amin (7), Aryan Islam (4) and Junufa Yasmin (5).

Locals have alleged that the boat was operating without basic safety measures. None of the passengers was wearing life jackets, officials confirmed.

Search operations are continuing along the river stretch, but authorities said challenging currents and depth of the Brahmaputra are hampering progress.