Biratnagar. Three people died on Sunday afternoon when a boat (boat) operating illegally in the Saptakoshi River capsized. The bodies of the three people who drowned when the boat capsized were recovered from the Chatara area of Sunsari, said SP Pushparaj Malla, chief of Sunsari police. Malla said that the condition of more than a dozen other passengers on the boat is still unknown.
After three people died in the passenger boat accident while coming from Kopche of Bhojpur to Barahakshetra of Sunsari, the local administration and police have stated that the boats were operating without registration and permission. It has been found that more than a dozen cheap boats are being operated openly in the risky waterway of Saptakoshi with strong currents and stones, without any legal process, standards, or safety arrangements.
Only after the lives of passengers were lost in the river did the regulatory bodies and security administration start searching for registration, permission, and procedures. After the accident, the Chief of Koshi Province Police Office, Additional Inspector General (DIG) Shekhar Khanal, said that he has instructed to take strict legal action against the operators who run boats without registration and by violating safety standards. 'We have received news that three people have died. We are confirming the rest. There is also news that some people in between have swum out on their own. We are in the process of understanding what happened,' he said. 'If they did not have registration and permission and did not provide life jackets to the passengers, then file a case for negligence and arrest and take action against the operators as well. Those who operate without permission must be punished.'
Admitting that the bodies only came to the attention of the bodies after the incident, he said that the attention of all stakeholders was not paid. 'Instead of the police doing everything everywhere, there are other bodies too. The district administration and everyone should monitor. Now, after such an incident, it becomes known that this is also a field. Therefore, I have told all the districts to be strict about it,' he said.
Although the accident occurred near Khualung in the Triveni area on the border of Dhankuta and Udayapur, the strong current of the river washed the bodies to the Chatara area of Sunsari. According to SP Pushparaj Malla, chief of Sunsari police, three bodies have been found in Chatara.
'The area where the incident occurred is not related to us, that area is Udayapur and Dhankuta. But the people who drowned there have reached our Chatara area. So far, three deaths have been confirmed,' he said. 'Among the deceased are one male and two females (including one child).' SP Malla said that the exact number of passengers on the boat remains uncertain. 'We don't know exactly how many were on board. Some say 16, some say more than 15,' he said.
According to a local businessman, there is no state policy, rule, or procedure for operating boats in the Saptakoshi River. 'There are no rules for this. Register it with the company registrar, register it with VAT, and then operate it as you wish, or they do passenger insurance. They are operating as they please! There are no laws, no clear revenue system. Nothing!' said the businessman. He said that although the local municipality, administration, and stakeholders were aware of this, no one paid attention until the accident occurred.
It has been revealed that the vehicle involved in the accident was not a real 'jet boat' but a cheap 'OBM' (outboard motor) boat used in lakes and ponds. According to the businessman, operating such OBM boats in the Saptakoshi, which has strong currents (rapid water) and stones at a depth of 1 to 1.5 feet, is technically risky. 'There are only two or three real jet boats. The remaining 10-12 are all OBMs. These are available for 12-13 lakh rupees,' he said.
Jet boats have a special water jetting technology, so the risk of hitting stones is reduced. However, OBM boats have an open propeller underneath. These boats, operated to take advantage of the passenger rush on the Ashtami and Navami of Dashain, had their engines shut down as soon as the propeller hit the stones underwater. The businessman claims that the boat then became uncontrollable, was swept about 400 meters downstream by the strong current, and capsized after hitting the stones on the bank.
