Assam CM Sarma visits bereaved families of Simlitola boat capsize victims

Goalpara (Assam) [India], July 13 (ANI): Following the tragic boat capsize incident that took place on Thursday at Simlitola in the Rongjuli area of Goalpara district, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma visited the bereaved family members of the five victims and paid his condolences.

Four bodies had been found, and one person was found missing in the accident, according to the officials.

The Chief Minister met the families of Sujan Malakar, Jit Karmakar, Prasenjit Saha, Gouranga Malakar and Uday Sarkar, and he expressed his deep sympathy to them and prayed for the eternal peace of the departed souls.

While speaking to the media, Chief Minister Sarma said that the state government has provided an ex gratia payment of Rs 4 lakh to the next of kin of each victim.

He also stated that the government would look into additional ways to assist the grieving families.

Housing and Urban Affairs Minister Ashok Singhal and ex-MP Queen Oja were also present during the visit of the Chief Minister.

The incident took place in the Simlitola Narayanpara area of the Goalpara district when a country boat in which a group of villagers were being ferried, capsized in the water body.

The villagers were returning from a cremation when this incident happened. There were 20 people on the boat at the time of the accident.

Meanwhile, with seven more deaths, the total death toll in flood in Assam has mounted to 90 so far, said the Assam State Disaster Management Authority (ASDMA).

“Five people died in a boat capsize incident in Goalpara district while one the people drowned in flood waters in Nagaon and Jorhat district. With this total death toll has increased to 90 so far,” said the flood report of ASDMA.

The flood situation in the state has been improving marginally, but over 12.33 lakh people in 24 districts are still affected by the deluge.

2,406 villages under 75 revenue villages and 32924.32 hectares of crop area are still under water. The affected districts are Cachar, Dhubri, Nagaon, Kamrup, Dibrugarh, Golaghat, Nalbari, Barpeta, Dhemaji, Sivasagar, Goalpara, Jorhat, Morigaon, Lakhimpur, Karimganj, Darrang, Majuli, Biswanath, Hailakandi, Bongaigaon, South Salmara, Chirang, Tinsukia, Kamrup (M).

3,18,326 people are affected in Dhubri district followed by 1,48,609 people in Cachar, 95,277 people in Golaghat, 88,120 people in Nagaon, 83125 people in Goalpara, 82,494 in Majuli, 73,662 people in Dhemaji, 63,400 people in South Salmara district.

The water levels of many rivers in the state are now receding, but the water level of Brahmaputra River is still flowing above the danger level mark at Neamatighat, Tezpur, Dhubri, Burhidihing River at Chenimari (Khowang), Disang River at Nanglamuraghat and Kushiyara River at Karimganj.

Over 2.95 lakh people are taking shelter in 316 relief camps and distribution centres in flood-affected districts.

The ASDMA flood report also stated that 6,67,175 animals were also affected by the deluge.