Odisha floods: Miraculous escape for 50 boat passengers

KENDRAPARA: It was a narrow escape for 50 passengers of a boat which drifted for a few kilometres in Mahanadi river after an engine breakdown on Saturday evening. However, all the passengers were ferried to safety by ODRAF and marine police from Jamboo. The boat was enroute to Bahakuda Ghat in Mahakalapada block from Paradip.

“We were stranded for almost two hours in the Mahanadi river mouth near the sea. The engine of the boat shut down suddenly and the vessel began to drift towards the sea. But as luck would have it, we were rescued by another boat,” said Ramesh Mandal, one of the passengers of the boat.

Mahakalapada block development officer Debashis Rout said the boat was ferrying passengers illegally. “Due to a deep depression in the sea, the district administration has banned operation of boats in the river. We will take appropriate action against the boatman,” he said.

Meanwhile, Collector Amrit Ruturah informed that all the passengers were rescued and brought to Kharinasi and Bahakud jetty points by  a team of fire officials, Jamboo marine police and local boatsmen. All are safe now and have reached the landmass near the ghats, he tweeted.