Bihar boat tragedy: Police registers case against owner of an amusement park, boat operator

Patna: The Bihar Police on Sunday registered a First Information Report (FIR) against the owner of an amusement park and the operator of the boat that capsized in the river Ganga in Patna on Saturday evening, claiming at least 24 lives.

The operator, who was also on the boat at the time tragedy struck, was one of the survivors who managed to reach the shore after the boat turned turtle in the river.

However, the FIR was registered against him as the number of the people on board was reportedly more than the vessel's capacity.

Amateur footage of the tragedy confirmed that the boat was carrying passengers, from a kite flying event, well over its intended capacity.

The dramatic visuals of the capsizing boat show several passengers swimming towards safety and a few seem to have been pulled into the waters along with the sinking boat.

The boat was carrying around 40 people, of which 24 have been declared dead so far. Meanwhile, the rescue operation is still underway to trace on twelve people who are said to be missing after the tragedy.

Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar has ordered an inquiry and directed officials to discontinue kite flying at Sabalpur Diara.Union Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad told ANI that arrangements should have been more robust, while assuring that an inquiry will expose loopholes and the defaulters will be caught.

Earlier today, Prime Minister Narendra Modi sanctioned an ex-gratia of two lakh rupees each to the next of kin of those died in the Bihar boat tragedy. He also approved 50 thousand rupees each to the seriously injured persons from the Prime Minister's National Relief Fund. 

(With agency inputs)