Patna boat tragedy: Modi announces ex-gratia; Search & rescue operations by NDRF teams underway

New Delhi: As the toll in boat tragedy in river Ganga here climbed to 24, the opposition today blamed alleged mismanagement and negligence at a government organised event for the incident even as Chief Minister Nitish Kumar ordered a high-level inquiry. An FIR was filed with Sonepur police station against persons running an entertainment park at Sabalpur diara and boat operators for illegally ferrying passengers between Saran and Patna districts after the boat capsized yesterday near NIT ghat as it was apparently overcrowded with revellers returning from a kite festival organised by tourism department on occasion of Makar Sankranti festival. However, BJP leader Sushil Kumar Modi alleged that there was an attempt to cover-up the "negligence" of state government. He claimed that there were inadequte number of boats to ferry the people for the event. PM Modi has announced ex-gratia of Rs 2 lakh for next of kin of those deceased and Rs 50,000 for those seriously injured in the boat tragedy. The money will be paid from Prime Minister's National Relief Fund (PMNRF). Patna boat tragedy: Death toll rises to 24 24 passengers are killed and many others are missing as a boat carrying 40 people capsized in the Ganga river near here on Saturday evening. Only eight people were rescued till Saturday. The bodies of 21 passengers are recovered. "Eight people are being treated at the Patna Medical College and Hospital", said Patna SSP Manu Maharaj on Saturday. According to eyewitnesses, the overcrowded boat was returning from a kite flying festival, organised as part of Makar Sankranti by the state Tourism Department, when the incident took place around 6 p.m. Rescue operations were hampered since it was already dark by the time. Six of the eight people rescued were pulled out from the river by the National Disaster Response Force, a team of which was deployed for the rescue operations. Patna District Magistrate Sanjay Agarwal and district police officials are camping at the site. Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar orders probe Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar has ordered a probe into the incident. The state government also announced an ex-gratia of Rs 4 lakh to the next of the kin of the victims. Meanwhile, the ruling JD-U postponed its state President Vashisht Narain Singh's Makar Sankranti feast planned for Sunday. Search and rescue operation on Search and rescue operations by NDRF teams were underway and 21 bodies recovered so far. (With inputs from agencies)