21 people drown after boat capsizes in eastern India
PATNA, India – At least 21 people drowned and a dozen others were missing after their overcrowded boat capsized in a river in eastern India, police said Sunday.
Nearly 50 people were returning by boat after attending a Hindu religious festival in a village across the river near Patna, the state capital of Bihar, when it capsized on Saturday, said police officer Chandan Kushwaha.
He said 13 people have been rescued and hospitalized.
The capsized boat was retrieved by rescue workers on Sunday and they were continuing to search for more survivors. So far, 21 bodies have been recovered from the river, Kushwaha said.
Police said the boat could carry up to 25 passengers, but it was overcrowded because people were returning to Patna after attending the Hindu festival, which was organized by the state government.
Authorities ordered an inquiry.
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