As many as 30 passengers narrowly escaped drowning as a mechanised boat ferrying them swept away on the river current of Mahanadi after developing a technical snag on Saturday evening. All the passengers were rescued.
The boat was carrying the passengers from Paradip’s Musadiha Ghat to Bahakuda ferry ghat under Mahakalapada block on the Mahanadi river when it developed technical snag mid-water.
As a result, the boat operator started repairing the technical snag by anchoring the boat in the mid river when the river was in spate. However, as ill luck would have it, the river current swept away the boat. Soon another boat that went to rescue the passengers also was swept away on the river current.
Minister Atanu Sabyasachi Nayak, getting information, rushed to the spot. The jamboo Marine police managed to rescue the two boats while floating near Nipania. All the passengers were to brought back to safety.
