Boy Dies, 1 Missing As Boat Capsizes In Odisha; CM Announces Rs 4 Lakh Ex-Gratia For Kin Of Deceased

Kendrapada/Bhubaneswar: A minor boy died and another person was missing after a boat carrying around 30 passengers capsized in Brahmani river in Aul area of Odisha’s Kendrapada district on Thursday.

While the body of Debendra Behera was fished out after search operation by fire service personnel, boatman Sudarshan Swain was still missing. Search is on to trace him, sources said.

Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik expressed grief over the death of one person in the boat mishap and announced Rs 4 lakh ex-gratia for the next of kin of the deceased.

He has directed the Kendrapada district collector to hand over the ex-gratia money to the family of the deceased by today evening, the Chief Minister’s Office (CMO) said in a statement.

Sources said the mishap took place when the ill-fated boat was on its way from Ekamania to Keradagarh of Rajnagar area of the district. Over 30 passengers boarded the boat along with some bikes. After covering some distance, the boat lost control and capsized.

While the minor boy and the boatman went missing, other passengers were rescued soon after the mishap. A massive search operation was launched by the fire service personnel and the body of Debendra was fished out after two hours. Search is on to trace the boatman, the sources added.