Police personnel with the help of locals on Sunday morning fished out the body of 6-year-old Mohan Sahu who had gone missing following a mechanized boat capsize in Brahmani river at Damarpur ghat under Pattamunai police station on Saturday.
Notably, the boat capsized while coming from Manikapatana ghat carrying about 30 persons. All others had managed to swim to the river bank safely. Soon after retrieval, police sent the body for autopsy to the Ali CHC. Meanwhile, deceased’s family has been provided Rs 10,000 from the District Red Cross fund. According to local Tehsildar Banamali Tarei, the boat was not carrying life saving equipments, which is a requisite for ferryboats as per norms. Meanwhile, locals have alleged that the district administration has remained mute spectator when ferryboats are making unsafe journey by violating guidelines at various river ghats in the district.
When contacted, district Collector Pramod Kumar Das said he has directed an inquiry to establish whether the boat was carrying passengers above the capacity and whether possessed requisite security measures or not. Necessary steps would be taken after receipt of the report, he said. He, however, confirmed that several ferry ghats do not possess valid license and registration number. Besides, most of the boats moving in ferry ghats of the district do not have life buoys and life jackets. As many as 53 ferry ghats have been functioning in the district now. While 18 ghats are in Mahakalapada, 12 in Garadpur, eight in Rajkanika, six in Ali, four in Rajnagar, two each in Pattamundai and Derabish blocks and one is in Kendrapara block.