Assam: Boat carrying flood-affected people capsizes; three children missing

A boat carrying flood-affected people has capsized in Assam's Hojai district, leaving three children missing while 21 others have been rescued, officials said on Saturday.

A group of 24 villagers were moving to safety from inundated Islampur village late on Friday night when the boat hit submerged a brick kiln and capsized in Raikota area, they said.

"Personnel of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) rescued 21 people, while search operations are underway to trace the three missing children," Hojai Deputy Commissioner Anupam Choudhury told PTI.

He urged people not to take a risk and venture out in the dark in inundated areas.

"If people want to move to safer places, they should contact the district administration. We will evacuate them in NDRF and SDRF boats," he said.

Kopili River has inundated vast tracts of land and affected over 55,150 people in the district, which was also severely affected in the first wave of floods earlier this year.

A total of 29,745 people have taken shelter in 47 relief camps in the district.

According to a bulletin issued by the Assam State Disaster Management Authority (ASDMA), another person was reported missing in a separate incident in Hojai on Friday.

In Sonitpur district, a person was reported missing when the boat in which four people were travelling capsized on Friday. Three of them were rescued while a search was underway to trace the missing person.

Assam is severely affected by floods with 18.95 lakh people suffering in 28 districts and 55 people dying due to the deluge and landslides in the state this year.