GUWAHATI: A 40-year-old woman from Lanka in Hojai district died after she went missing from a passenger boat while crossing the Brahmaputra between North Guwahati and Umananda, in an incident that has prompted questions about emergency preparedness at the river ghats.
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The deceased has been identified as Sangita Das, daughter of the late Atul Chandra Das.
According to preliminary accounts, Sangita had travelled from her hometown in Hojai to visit relatives in North Guwahati. During the crossing, she met a younger female relative on board. Mid-journey, she reportedly handed her personal bag to the girl and then suddenly disappeared from the boat. Eyewitnesses and family members said the young relative did not see whether Sangita fell accidentally or entered the water deliberately. After a frantic search, she was pulled out of the river but was subsequently declared dead.
According to police, the woman was mentally challenged and was undergoing treatment.
Eyewitnesses and daily commuters on the North Guwahati–Umananda route said that, despite the ghats being busy tourist and commuter hubs, critical emergency services were absent when the incident occurred. They stated that no medical emergency service, SDRF or NDRF team was stationed at the ghats. Although the woman was eventually rescued from the water, bystanders alleged she did not receive prompt medical treatment, which they believe cost her her life.
A departmental representative, however, said authorities responded immediately after receiving information. According to the official, the rescue team acted as soon as the alert was raised, and a life jacket was thrown to the woman while she was in the water, but she did not use it. Once the NDRF team arrived, it took charge of the operation and shifted her to hospital.
Local police and river transport authorities are examining the sequence of events, and formal procedures for an unnatural death case are underway. The exact circumstances of the incident, including whether it was an accident or deliberate, have not yet been established. The conflicting accounts of response time and the availability of emergency personnel at the ghats are yet to be independently verified.
