Agencies
Berhampur: At least four persons, including a child, died and seven others went missing when a boat capsized in the Chilika lake in Ganjam district Saturday.
The incident occurred about two-km from the shore when a motorised boat on its way to Ghantasila from Sabulia, carrying 29 persons, including five children, sank in the lake after losing balance, a police officer said.
The victims, after attending a wedding at Sabulia Friday, were going to Ghantasila for a picnic.
Local fishermen and boatmen fished out the bodies of four persons, including a girl, while seven passengers are missing, the officer said.
The rest of the passengers were brought to the shore by the rescuers and are being treated in local hospitals, Ganjam district collector P C Chaudhury said.
While 15 persons are being treated at MKCG Medical College and Hospital at Berhampur, the rest were admitted to hospitals in Rambha and Khallikote, he said, adding their condition is stable.
Teams from Orissa Disaster Rapid Action Force and fire brigade personnel have been pressed into service for the rescue operation, Chaudhury said, adding local fishermen and police personnel are engaged in searching the missing people, while a team from NDRF is also set to join.
Apart from the district collector, IG of police (Southern Range) Amitabh Thakur and senior officials are supervising the rescue operation.
Ganjam collector Prem Chandra Choudhury told reporters that four persons died in the incident while the rescue operation was underway to trace seven other persons.
He said most of the passengers have been rescued and admitted to MKCG Medical College and Hospital, Berhampur and at Rambha hospital.
The deceased were identified as Mitu Sahu (35) and his son Sahil Sahu (3) of Khallikote Nuasahi, Siba Pradhan (17), a Plus II student of Khallikote College and Sampurna Swain (2), daughter of Kishore Swain of Languri village under Rambha police limits.
The injured were identified as boatman Bideshi Mallick (27) of Sabulia, Babu Dalei (24), Vicky Tarei (23) of Baliguda, Sukanti Pradhan (32) of Titilagarh and her nephew Shankar Pradhan (14), a student of class IX.
