MORE THAN 100 people have died after the ferry they were travelling on in north-eastern India capsized yesterday.
Army divers have been involved in the search for survivors and for bodies.
Of the 350 believed to be on board at the time of the disaster, around 150 people managed to swim to safety or were rescued by local residents. At least 100 people remain missing.
Indian officials in the Goalpara district said that the vessel split into two pieces on the Brahmaputra River in Assam state yesterday evening during a storm. The boat was also carrying cargo.
The rescue effort was hampered by heavy winds and rain.
Assam’s chief minister Tarun Gogoi said that an inquiry will be launched into the ferry disaster but that the first priority “is to account for every person who was on the ferry”.
India’s Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has pledged government support for the families of the victims. In a statement, the PM’s office said that support was being offered to the state government of Assam for the relief operations.
- Additional reporting by the AP
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