January 02, 2026 02:45 pm (IST)
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Bengal boat tragedy: Death toll reaches 20, NDRF team leaves spot
Kolkata/Nadia, May 17 (IBNS): After another body was recovered on Tuesday from river Bhagirathi near Kalna in West Bengal's Burdwan district, the death toll in West Bengal boat disaster touched 20, according to reports.
Earlier on Saturday night, an overloaded boat carrying approximately 100 passengers, capsized minutes after it set sail from Kalna in Burdwan and was heading for Shantipur in Nadia district.
Protesting against the delay in rescue operations, local people clashed with the police force on Sunday at Shantipur's Nrisinghapur Ferry Ghat area in Nadia district.
They ransacked police vehicles, set several boats on fire and pelted stones aiming at the police force. When two policemen were injured in the clash and the situation went out of control, cops restored to lathicharge, lobbed tear gas shells and fired rubber-bullets to disperse the mob. Few persons were arrested for creating violence.
Later Disaster Management Group (DMG), trained divers' team from Kolkata and National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) started the rescue operation and have recovered 20 bodies, including 4 children and several women, from the river so far.
Meanwhile, closing rescue operations, the NDRF teams, DMG personnel and train divers left the spot on Tuesday, when the drowned boat is still under the water.
However, local administration and police are continuing rescue operation without any modern equipment. Nadia district administration has announced 2 lakh compensation to each victim's family.
The Kalna Municipality has filed a case of unintentional murder against the ferry-service operators and the police of Nadia's Shantipur Police Station have lodged a complaint against the persons, who created violence on Sunday, on Suo Motto basis.
Nobody has been arrested so far in the case.
(Reporting by Deepayan Sinha)
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