Malda: A late-night boat mishap on the swollen Ganga River near Parlalpur Ganga Ghat in Baishnabnagar has left one migrant labourer missing, triggering anxiety and grief in the local community. The incident occurred in the wee hours of Friday when 12 migrant workers from Bakhrabad Char village, returning home after working as masons in Bankura, found the ferry services at Dhulian Ferry Ghat closed for the night. In desperation, they boarded a small dinghy belonging to local fishermen in hopes of crossing the river.
However, tragedy struck mid-river. The boat, unable to handle the strong current, capsized suddenly. While the boatman and 11 labourers managed to swim ashore, one migrant worker, Jahangir Sheikh, went missing. “We had no option. We were tired and the ferry was closed.
That’s why we took the boat,” said Rubel Sheikh, one of the survivors, still shaken. “The current was strong. Before we knew it, the boat flipped.”
On Friday morning, Civil Defence teams launched a search operation using speedboats, scouring the river. “Our team is working round-the-clock to locate the missing person,” said an official involved in the rescue effort.
“We are hopeful, but the river is deep and turbulent.” Jahangir Sheikh’s family is devastated. “He was returning home after months. Now no one knows where he is,” said his brother with tears in his eyes.