2010 West Bengal ferry sinking
Encyclopedia
The 2010 West Bengal Ferry Sinking was an incident which occurred on Saturday, 30 October 2010, when an over-crowded ferry carrying Muslim
pilgrims sank after hitting a sand bank on the Bhagirathi River
in the Indian state of West Bengal
. Thus far at least 74 bodies have been recovered, with many more missing, feared swept downstream.
. It is believed up to 150 people, more than double the capacity, were on the boat at the time.
The Indian Navy
was called in to help with the rescue, with Navy divers and local fishermen helping to rescue survivors from the river as well as collect deceased bodies.
A protest was staged on a jetty
near the accident site by frustrated locals who believe the government was too slow to react to help with the disaster, despite the Navy's committing a helicopter as well as personnel to help look in case against all likelihood there are more survivors.
Islam
Islam . The most common are and . : Arabic pronunciation varies regionally. The first vowel ranges from ~~. The second vowel ranges from ~~~...
pilgrims sank after hitting a sand bank on the Bhagirathi River
Bhagirathi River
The Bhāgīrathī is a turbulent Himalayan river in the state of Uttarakhand, India, that is the source stream of the Ganges—the major river of the Gangetic plain of Northern India and the holy river of Hinduism.-Etymology:...
in the Indian state of West Bengal
West Bengal
West Bengal is a state in the eastern region of India and is the nation's fourth-most populous. It is also the seventh-most populous sub-national entity in the world, with over 91 million inhabitants. A major agricultural producer, West Bengal is the sixth-largest contributor to India's GDP...
. Thus far at least 74 bodies have been recovered, with many more missing, feared swept downstream.
Accident
The ferry, which had a listed capacity of 60, capsized and sank in rough waters whilst ferrying Muslim pilgrims back from a religious festival down the Bhagirathi RiverBhagirathi River
The Bhāgīrathī is a turbulent Himalayan river in the state of Uttarakhand, India, that is the source stream of the Ganges—the major river of the Gangetic plain of Northern India and the holy river of Hinduism.-Etymology:...
. It is believed up to 150 people, more than double the capacity, were on the boat at the time.
The Indian Navy
Indian Navy
The Indian Navy is the naval branch of the armed forces of India. The President of India serves as the Commander-in-Chief of the Navy. The Chief of Naval Staff , usually a four-star officer in the rank of Admiral, commands the Navy...
was called in to help with the rescue, with Navy divers and local fishermen helping to rescue survivors from the river as well as collect deceased bodies.
A protest was staged on a jetty
Jetty
A jetty is any of a variety of structures used in river, dock, and maritime works that are generally carried out in pairs from river banks, or in continuation of river channels at their outlets into deep water; or out into docks, and outside their entrances; or for forming basins along the...
near the accident site by frustrated locals who believe the government was too slow to react to help with the disaster, despite the Navy's committing a helicopter as well as personnel to help look in case against all likelihood there are more survivors.