Toll in Odisha boat capsize rises to 7 with recovery of 5 more bodies

Bhubaneswar: The toll in the boat capsize in Odisha’s Jharsuguda district rose to seven with the recovery of five more bodies on Saturday, a senior official said.

Personnel of the Odisha Disaster Rapid Action Force and fire services, who launched a search operation immediately after the boat capsized on Friday evening, recovered five more bodies from the Mahanadi River, he said.

"Five more bodies were recovered from the Hirakud reservoir of the river," the official said.

All deceased persons hailed from the Kharseni area of neighbouring Chhattisgarh.

The incident occurred when around 50 passengers hailing from the neighbouring state returned in the boat after visiting a temple in Patharseni Kuda in Odisha's Bargarh district.

The boat capsized as it was about to reach Sarada Ghat in Rengali police station in Jharsuguda district, a police officer said.