Toll rises to 41 in Bihar boat tragedies

PATNA: The death toll in Bihar's twin tragedies, when two boats carrying Durga Puja revellers capsized in the Kosi and Bagmati rivers, has gone

up to 41 with 11 more bodies being recovered, officials said on Wednesday.

"Eleven more bodies have been recovered," Khagaria District Superintendent of Police Indranand Mishra said. Till Tuesday evening, 21 bodies were recovered from the Bagmati river in Khagaria, about 200 km from here.

Thirty-two bodies have been recovered from the Bagmati, but over two dozen are still missing. "The search is on to recover the missing people," Mishra told IANS.

The incident had taken place on Monday evening, about the same time when another overloaded boat capsized in the Kosi river in Darbhanga district, about 150 km from here, killing nine people.

In Khagaria, over 80 villagers returning from a fair to mark the end of Durga Puja, packed into a boat that had a capacity of 30.

Chief Minister Nitish Kumar has announced a compensation of Rs.150,000 for the families of victims.

Opposition Rashtriya Janata Dal chief Lalu Prasad and Lok Janshakti Party chief Ram Vilas Paswan expressed shock over the incidents. Both Lalu Prasad and Paswan are expected to visit Khagaria on Wednesday.