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Hirakud boat tragedy: 31 bodies recovered

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BS Reporter Bhubaneswar
Last Updated : Feb 11 2014 | 10:19 PM IST
The death toll in the Hirakud boat tragedy has risen to 31 after two days of intense search and rescue operations following the mishap.

The bodies of 31 out of 114 members of Lion's Club of Sambalpur, who boarded the ill-fated boat on last Sunday to cross the reservoir after a picnic, have been recovered by the officials involved in the rescue operations.

The rescue team, comprising the fire brigade, Odisha Disaster Rapid Action Force (ODRAF) and the SCUBA divers, resumed search operations on Tuesday in the presence of superintendent of police, district collector and revenue divisional commissioner.

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The state government has announced Rs 1.5 lakh ex-gratia for the family members of the deceased and free treatment for the survivors.

An administrative enquiry by the revenue divisional commissioner- RDC (northern range) has been ordered.

"All possible angles will be probed and the report will submitted to the state government accordingly", said Pramod Kumar Meherda, RDC.

The state government has faced ire from the Opposition parties over the tragic incident. Leader of BJP legislature party K V Singh Deo alleged the government did not maintain records of licensed boat operators and those operating without licenses.

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First Published: Feb 11 2014 | 8:15 PM IST

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