Two persons of a marriage party drowned after their SUV fell into the Ganga while being ferried on a boat to the other side of the river.
Three four-wheelers were being transported over the Ganga at Patna’s Jethuli ghat by boat at the time of the tragedy, according to a State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) officer.
To go to the opposite side of the river under Raghopur police station in the Vaishali district for the wedding ceremony, eight people who were traveling in a wedding procession were seated in the SUV.
The bride’s father, Sakindar Rai, lives in Rampur Bhathi village, which is within the jurisdiction of Raghopur police station in Vaishali, and the wedding party was traveling there from Indira Nagar Navratanpur, under the jurisdiction of Kankarbagh police station in Patna.
In order to cross the river, Shambhu Rai’s father, Upendra Rai, came to Jethuli village with the wedding party. To cross the river, he had rented a boat. Two additional four-wheelers were added to the boat along with the SUV. The car slid into the river when the boat took off and traveled about 15 feet from the shore.
“There were eight persons, including four children, in the SUV. Through six of them swam to safety, two youths who are said to be friends of groom Shambhu Rai, drowned and disappeared in water,” said Upendra Rai.
The water level in the Ganga river increases during the monsoon season. The SDRF officials are conducting a rescue operation.
(with inputs from IANS)