Guwahati:
A boat carrying flood-stricken people has capsized in Assam’s Hojai district, leaving three children missing and 21 others rescued, officials said on Saturday.
A group of 24 villagers had escaped to safety from the flooded village of Islampur late Friday night when the boat flooded a brick kiln and capsized in the area of Raikota, they said.
“National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) personnel have rescued 21 people while searches are underway to locate the three missing children,” Hojai Deputy Commissioner Anupam Choudhury told PTI.
He urged people not to take any chances and venture into flooded areas after dark.
#WATCH † Hojai, Assam | Violation between Jamunamukh and Jugijan section under Lumding division of Northeast Frontier Railway due to flooding after heavy rainfall has resulted in disruption of train services. Multiple trains cancelled/partially cancelled/rerouted (17.06) pic.twitter.com/31smRedo4W
— ANI (@ANI) June 17, 2022
“If people want to move to safer places, they should contact the district administration. We will evacuate them in NDRF and SDRF boats,” he said.
The Kopili River has flooded huge tracts of land and affected more than 55,150 people in the district, which was also badly hit by the first wave of flooding earlier this year.
A total of 29,745 people have sought shelter in 47 relief camps in the district.
According to a bulletin issued by the Assam State Disaster Management Authority (ASDMA), another person was reported missing in a separate incident in Hojai on Friday.
One person was reported missing in Sonitpur district on Friday when the boat carrying four people capsized. Three of them were rescued while a search was underway to locate the missing person.
Assam is badly affected by flooding with 18.95 lakh people suffering in 28 districts and 55 people dying due to the flood and landslides in the state this year.
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