Co-Writer: Mayurankhi Handique
A tragic accident occurred today at the river Brahmaputra where cries of several people were heard and many are still missing due to a boat collision that caused them to sink into the heart of the mighty Brahmaputra at the Majuli-Jorhat Ferry route.
The accident occurred when the private boat “Ma Kamala” was heading to Majuli from Neematighat and the government-owned ferry “Tripkai” was arriving from Majuli, and they collided.
Several four-wheelers and two-wheelers were also carried down the river by boat. Several are feared to be dead in the tragic accident. Around 30 people were able to swim to the banks while a young girl succumbed to death and many are still missing.
Check out the Visuals of the horrific incident:
Majuli is the world’s largest human-inhabited river island. Hundreds of people use ferries and country boats to commute from the island to Neematighat in Jorhat, on the southern bank of the Brahmaputra River.
Jorhat deputy commissioner Ashok Kumar Barman said, “The sunken boat has been found in upside-down position but due to strong current of the river, divers cannot search inside the boat.”
Netizens have been demanding a bridge between North Lakhimpur and Jorhat, via Majuli, for a very long time. The boat accident has further infuriated people who are now reacting in response to this.
The bridge connecting Neematighat and Majuli Island across the Brahmaputra River has yet to be built.
Nitin Gadkari, the Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways, laid the foundation stone for the bridge in 2016, just before the assembly elections. PM Narendra Modi launched the construction of the two-lane, 8-kilometre Bridge in February 2021, just before the assembly elections.
Many have been rescued, while others are feared to be missing or dead. It’s a tragedy that will be remembered forever. Does it take a horrific ferry accident for authorities to realise the need for better infrastructure?
