LAW KUMAR MISHRA
Patna: Over a dozen people are feared drowned in the Ganga between Sahebganj in Jharkhand and Manihari in Katihar district of Bihar as 12 trucks on a Cargo Steamer capsized in the river
Deputy commissioner of Sahebganj, Ram Niwas Yadav, who visited the Mukteshwar Ganga ghat, nearest point of the disaster said four trucks plunged into the river as the steamer developed trouble midstream the Ganga.He said NDRF has been summoned in rescue operations.
DC said the steamer was being ferried from Sahebganj in Jharkhand to Manihari in Bihar during night hours against the prescribed rule of sunrise to sunset movement in the river.
Amar Chaudhury, captain of the ship said tyres of one of trucks bursted on the steamer and it first tilted and finally drowned in to the river . As steamer got disbalanced, more trucks fell into the river
He said ten are missing
Pramod Paswan, a employee of the steamer company admitted in the hospital said there were 18 trucks on board the steamer and only six could be saved.
Survivors said the steamer was loaded with trucks carrying stone chips from Sahebganj. It was carrying trucks much more against its capacity.