Tragic Boat Capsizing in Dhubri Claims One Life, Two Students Missing

Incident Overview

Dhubri, Feb 4: A tragic incident unfolded on Tuesday night when a country boat capsized in the Gangadhar River near Belpara Char in Assam's Dhubri district, leading to the disappearance of three students. As of Wednesday, the body of one victim has been recovered.

The deceased has been identified as Sarmina Khatun, while the other two missing individuals are Saha Alam and Mofida. Among them, one is a college student, and the other two are still in school.

Reports indicate that the incident took place in the Gangadhar River, which runs along the Assam-West Bengal border.

A group of 22 students from Sagunchara village had traveled to Belpara Char to attend the funeral of a local resident named Naib Ali.

After the funeral rites, the group attempted to return home by crossing the river in a small boat.

While navigating midstream, the boat reportedly capsized, causing all passengers to fall into the water.

A local resident recounted, "The students were returning after attending a funeral. As they boarded the boat, it capsized. Nineteen students managed to escape, but three are still missing."

The State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) has initiated a search operation to locate the two remaining missing students.

Officials have stated that the search efforts are expected to continue into Thursday.

This incident follows a similar occurrence last week in Barpeta district, where a motorized passenger boat capsized in the Brahmaputra River, leaving at least six individuals feared missing.