DHAKUAKHANA, Oct 4: Three residents of Dewolia village died after a country boat carrying them sank at Merbil near Dewolia village in Ghilamara on Sunday morning.
The deceased were identified as Padma Dutta, 45, Ajit Dutta, 22, and 11-year-old Mridusmin Dutta. They had been crossing Merbil towards Gohai Bari to tie their cattle as part of their daily routine when the boat reportedly lost balance and sank.
The accident occurred amid a rise in the water level of Merbil in recent days. Locals suspected that the small country boat may have been unable to bear the weight of the passengers in the increased water level.
As the incident occurred in the early hours, no one was immediately available nearby to respond to possible cries for help. All three passengers drowned in the accident.
On receiving information, Ghilamara police and rescue personnel reached the site and, with the assistance of local residents, recovered the three bodies from the water.
The bodies were sent to a hospital for post-mortem examinations. The deaths of the three villagers, including the 11-year-old child, triggered grief across Dewolia and the wider Ghilamara area.
