A passenger boat, carrying over 50 people, including men, women, and children, became stranded in the heart of the Brahmaputra River on the night of January 2 amid dense fog and shallow water levels in Dhubri.
The boat, unable to navigate the treacherous conditions, left its passengers marooned throughout the freezing night.
Upon receiving reports of the incident, one regular boat and two mechanised boats from Dhubri went to rescue the stranded passengers. While one of the mechanised boats managed to rescue 15 passengers, the remaining two rescue boats themselves became stuck in the dense fog and shallow river depths, compounding the crisis. They were however rescued on January 3 morning.
Eyewitnesses and passengers described harrowing scenes as they endured the biting cold without shelter or supplies, anxiously awaiting rescue.
The adverse weather conditions and challenging river terrain have made the operation increasingly complex. This incident highlights the dangers of navigating the Brahmaputra River during winter, a period marked by dense fog and fluctuating water levels.
