Barpeta: Two passenger boats collide at Bahari Ghat, several injured

Several people were injured when two motorised passenger boats collided at Bahari Ghat on the Brahmaputra in Assam's Barpeta district on Friday evening, according to reports from Pratidin Time, ANI and The News Mill.

More than 100 passengers were on the two vessels at the time. Neither boat capsized.

What happened at the ghat

According to the preliminary accounts, one boat was crossing from the river's southern bank towards Bahari. The second boat was moored at the ghat and was still boarding passengers for its own trip.

As the incoming boat approached the landing point, its operator reportedly lost control, and it struck the stationary boat. The impact caused panic on both vessels.

The injured were taken to Chenga Model Hospital for treatment. The number of people hurt and the seriousness of their injuries had not been officially confirmed by Saturday afternoon. No deaths have been reported.

Both boats reportedly left Bahari Ghat soon after the collision. There was no word yet from the district administration or the Inland Water Transport department on whether either operator had been identified or questioned.

No life jackets, passengers allege

Passengers alleged that neither boat carried life jackets, the reports said. That has renewed questions about safety on the country boats and motorised ferries that thousands of people in lower Assam rely on every day to cross the Brahmaputra.

Life jackets and limits on passenger numbers are required on mechanised boats. Enforcement at smaller ghats is often weak, and overloading is common on busy routes.

A string of river accidents

Assam has seen several serious boat accidents in recent years. In September 2021, a collision between two ferries on the Brahmaputra near Nimatighat in Jorhat left at least one person dead and many missing for hours, prompting the state government to order safety checks and a crackdown on unregistered vessels.

What to watch

Officials have not yet said whether a case has been registered or an inquiry ordered into Friday's collision. NEInsider will update this story when the Barpeta district administration or police share details on the injured and on action against the operators.