The death toll in the Kendrapada boat mishap rose to nine with eight more bodies retrieved from water of Nipania river, a branch of the Mahanadi, by Thursday evening, according to district Collector Dasarathy Satpathy.
The deceased included seven children and two women where as a child was still missing, said Satpathy.
The deceased were identified as Pravati Swain (36), Ani Tarai (30), Sai Tarai(4), Debashis alias Babuni Sahu (10), Debasmita Pani (6), Rojalini alias Roji Sahu(14), Dhuna Sahu(10), Sushree Pallavi alias Pinu Swain(5) of Hasina village and Issan Dalei (3) of Gandakipur village under Kujanga police limits in Jagatsingpur district. While Subhashree alias Minu Swain (6) was missing, rescue operation was on by locals, ODRAF personnel and NDRF personnel to rescue her, informed Mahakalpada Additional Tehsildar Prasant Moharana.
As many as 55 persons, including six men, 27 women and 22 children, belonging to 19 families of Hasina and Gandkipur villages had come to Hukitola for a picnic to celebrate New Year by a mechanised speed boat (locally called tappa). While they were returning, one of the female passengers went to answer a call of nature. As some others got down from one side, the boat tilted and capsized.
Locals started search operation and rescued as many as 45 persons. Collector Satpathy, SP Niti Sekhar and Mahakalpada MLA Atanu Sabyasachi Nayak rushed to the spot. Fire personnel, Jamboo Marine police, ODRAF teams too reached the spot and started a search operation. A total of nine bodies were retrieved from river water.
After postmortem, dead bodies were handed over to their families.
The Kendrapada police on Thursday morning detained boatmen Prakash Sahu and Nirbhaya Swain. A daughter and two nieces of Nirbhaya also had their watery grave in the mishap. The two boatmen were released in the evening, said the SDPO.
A departmental inquiry has been started to know about the condition of the boat, its capacity and people ferried.
Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik expressed deep grief over the deaths and announced ex-gratia of Rs 4 lakh for family of each deceased and free treatment for the injured.
Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan and PCC chief Niranjan Patnaik also condoled the deaths.