Patna, May 28 (IANS) A tragic boat accident claimed at least three lives, and four others are missing in the Barh subdivision in Patna district on Thursday morning.

A small boat carrying 14 villagers capsized midstream in the Ganga River at Umanath Ganga Ghat.

According to preliminary information, the victims on board the boat were travelling towards the Diara region early in the morning to harvest vegetables from fields located across the river.

During the journey, the boat reportedly lost balance and overturned in the middle of the river due to strong winds. Local fishermen and boatmen present near the ghat immediately jumped into the river and launched rescue efforts.

With assistance from local residents, seven people were rescued safely and brought ashore.

However, the administration has confirmed the deaths of three individuals, whose bodies have been recovered from the river.

Four other passengers remain missing, prompting a large-scale search operation by teams of the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) along with local divers.

Officials fear that the strong waves of the Ganga River may have swept the missing persons downstream, leading rescuers to widen the search area.

Senior officials from the Barh subdivision rushed to the site soon after receiving information about the incident.

Garima Lohia, the SDO of Barh and Ram Krishna SDPO were personally supervising the rescue and relief operations at the ghat.

As news of the accident spread, hundreds of anxious residents and relatives gathered along the riverbank.

Police and administrative teams have begun the process of identifying the deceased and completing legal formalities, while survivors are receiving medical assistance and first aid.

Speaking about the possible cause of the accident, SDPO Ram Krishna said preliminary findings suggest that overloading and strong winds may have caused the boat to lose balance and capsize.

However, he added that the exact cause would become clear only after a detailed investigation.

The bodies have been sent for the post-mortem at the Barh subdivisional hospital.

–IANS

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