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West Bengal: 10 hours after boat capsize in Burdwan, NDRF begins rescue operation

Locals say at least hundreds of people are feared to be trapped on the boat, but the chairperson of the Shantipur Municipality has pegged the number at 10.

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Almost 10 hours after a boat capsized in Bengal's Burdwan district, the NDRF and district administration finally began rescue operations on Sunday afternoon.

While the boat that capsized has been identified, no one has been retrieved from the waters so far.

The boat was reportedly overloaded with passengers and capsized near the Kalna ghat in Burdwan at around 11.30pm on Saturday night. It was on its way to Shantipur in the bordering Nadia district. 

While the locals raised an alarm, the district administration and NDRF began rescue operations only on Sunday afternoon.

Angry locals and family members of the missing passengers had earlier gone on a rampage at the Shantipur ghat protesting the delay in carrying out a rescue. The mob set fire to several boats towed to the river bank and also the ferry office, where the tickets are issued. They even gheraoed the additional Superintendent of Police and the Sub-divisional Police Officer of the district.

Later, the infuriated mob pelted stones at the police, as a result of which two police officers were injured. The police in return, fired tear gas shells and rubber bullets at the mob to disperse them. Several villagers were injured in the counter firing by the police. The spot turned into a virtual war-zone with villagers clashing with the police and the cops firing in return.

Meanwhile, a huge force of police officials and RAF has been deployed at the spot.

While the chairperson of the Shantipur Municipality claims that only 10 are likely to be trapped, locals claim that hundreds of people are trapped inside.

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