KENDRAPARA : At least 50 people had a close shave after the ferry boat in which they were travelling got stuck in Mahanadi river for around three hours due to engine failure on Tuesday.
The boat carrying 50 passengers left Bahakuda ghat in Mahakalapada block to the port town of Paradip in the morning.
Mid way, the vessel’s engine developed a technical snag and it started to drift in the river. After around three hours, another boat reached the stranded vessel and safely rescued the passengers.
One of the passengers Rajesh Haldar said, “We were stranded in the mouth of Mahanadi river near the sea. The boat’s engine shut down all of a sudden and the vessel began to drift towards the sea. But luckily, we were rescued by another boat.”
Block development officer (BDO) of Mahakalapada Sagar Nanda said the stranded boat was safely towed to the shore with the help of another boat. The authorities have warned boat and ferry owners not to carry passengers beyond the permissible capacity.
The BDO further said it is mandatory for all private boat owners to get fitness certificates from the inland water transport department to ferry passengers. “We have also warned lease holders of ferry ghats and boat owners to provide life-saving jackets to passengers. We will take strict action against the boat owners who are found violating the safety norms,” he added.
Sources said Bahakuda is one of the busiest ghats in Kendrapara district. On an average, around 5,000 people from the district go to Paradip every day by crossing Mahanadi from Bahakuda ghat.