The body of a circle officer was found in the Brahmaputra river on Sunday where a boat with at least 29 people on board sank on Thursday morning, reported news agency ANI. The boat capsized in the river after hitting a post of a bridge at Bhashanir in Dhubri district of Assam.
The Assam Civil Services (ACS) officer’s body was found around 700 metres from the site of mishap at Aironjongla, close to Bangladesh border, by the team comprising personnel of SDRF, NDRF and BSF, a district official said, PTI reported.
Das, along with two other officials, were returning to Dhubri after surveying an erosion-affected area in Aminur char (riverine area).
A team of SDRF personnel and BSF jawans, along with locals, rescued the 28 other people, including a few school students, officials had said. Those rescued were admitted to a nearby hospital, PTI reported.
Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said that efforts were on to find Das, but questioned why the government officials were on a boat “meant to carry cargo”.
Also Read: Assam: Dhubri Circle Officer among several feared missing as boat capsizes in Brahmaputra
Meanwhile, a Congress delegation of state working president Rana Goswami and legislators Wajed Ali Choudhury, Jadav Swargiary and Abdul Batin Khandekar, among others visited the mishap spot on Friday morning. Goswami said they will meet those rescued and family members to see if they were lapses in safety measures, adding that he will demand an inquiry into the incident.
Dhubri Lok Sabha MP Badruddin Ajmal has also sought a high-level inquiry into the matter. The MP and perfume baron announced an ex-gratia of Rs 10 lakh to the next of kin of Das.