Eight people feared missing in flood water in Bengal

Santiniketan, Sep 26 (UNI) At least eight people were feared missing when a country boat ferrying marooned people capsized in the flood waters at Labpur in West Bengal's Birbhum district today.

District Magistrate Tapan Kumar Shom had urged Home Secretary Prasad Ranjan Ray for deployment of Army for carrying out rescue operation.

Speed boats and country boats had been pressed into service but rescue operation could not be carried out properly due to heavy current in the water, he added.

Sub-Divisional Officer(Bolpur) Utpal Biswas said the incident occurred at 0900 hrs when the boat carrying about 20 people at Lawghata bridge, some 20 km north from here, hit a tree.

An unidentifed body of a woman was found.

However, unofficial sources said about 40 to 45 people were on the boat.

UNI