Birbhum DM, 2 MPs, a MLA fall in flood water after boat turns turtle

KOLKATA: Around 13 people including Birbhum DM Bidhan Roy, two MPs Samirul Islam and Asit Mal, Labhpur MLA Abhijit Sinha, who were travelling in a boat during inspection of flood situation in Birbhum had a narrow escape on Wednesday after they fell into the flood water as their boat capsized.

All of them were rescued by the local people. It was learnt that none of them were wearing a life jacket when they were travelling on a boat to inspect the flood situation. Sources said that the boat had hit a submerged tree and stopped functioning. It then capsized due to a whirlpool in the flooded water. As many as 15 villages went under water after embankments along the Kure River collapsed.

Local people saw that the administrative officials fell in the flood water after the boat had overturned. They plunged into the flood water and all of them were reportedly rescued. Labhpur MLA, Abhijit Sinha, later said that when they were inspecting the flood situation, the boat hit a submerged tree and a whirlpool was created in the flood water. As a result, the boat overturned.

“We all fell in the flood water. The villagers rushed to our rescue and all of us were saved. All of us are well,” said Labhpur MLA Sinha.

Water levels in many rivers in the state have touched danger limits in several areas. Beside Birbhum, regions like West Medinipur, including Ghatal, are already inundated. The heavy rain has also caused a dam on the Kure River in Labhpur, Birbhum, to break, affecting 15 villages. As the Dwarakeswar River breached, many residents from Hooghly have left their homes in search of safe shelter. Vast tracts of crops have also been washed away by the floodwaters. Bankura, west Burdwan, east Burdwan, Hooghly, and Howrah along the Damodar are some of the areas hardest hit by the flood situation.