A motorised country boat carrying approximately 34 passengers on Tuesday capsized in the Brahmaputra River near Chenga in Assam’s Barpeta district, the times of India reported.

Six members of a single family, including four young children, went missing after the vessel, reportedly returning from a relative’s wedding, was hit by a whirlpool and overturned.

While local fishermen and bystanders managed to rescue nearly 30 passengers, the search for the untraceable six was suspended at nightfall due to poor visibility.

State and National Disaster Response Forces (SDRF and NDRF) resumed a coordinated search operation on Wednesday morning, as survivors alleged that the boat lacked life jackets and basic safety equipment.

Brahmaputra Tragedy

The missing family members were travelling from Rahampur to Borghul Char to attend a wedding when the tragedy struck midstream. Survivors recounted a harrowing scene where water began entering the bow of the boat profusely shortly after departure.

Despite passengers repeatedly alerting the boatman and begging him to halt the vessel, he reportedly ignored the warnings and urged them to “take Allah’s name” while continuing the journey, as per Guwahati Plus.

This incident follows a pattern of recurring safety lapses in Assam’s riverine transport system, where remote communities often rely on unrecorded, privately owned motorised boats that operate in direct violation of a 2018 statewide ban on mechanised country boats.

Safety Lapses

Preliminary reports suggest that overcrowding and a sudden whirlpool were the primary causes of the capsize. “The boat was operating without basic safety measures and had no life jackets on board,” stated Barpeta Revenue Circle Field Officer Jyotirmoy Choudhury.

Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Sushanta Biswa Sarma confirmed that the missing individuals have been identified as Madhu Mia (60), Sukurjan Nessa (45), and children Julufa Yasmin (5), Arian Ali (7), Amina Khatun (8), and Rahul Ali (8).

Eyewitnesses noted that Madhu Mia was seen holding onto the children as the boat went under, but the strong current eventually swept them all away. The boatman, who was also rescued, is currently undergoing treatment and will be interrogated once stable.

The Logical Indian’s Perspective

At The Logical Indian, we believe that these recurring “accidents” on the Brahmaputra are not mere tragedies of nature but systemic failures of governance.

It is unacceptable that in 2026, families are still forced to risk their lives on unsafe, overloaded vessels due to a lack of bridge infrastructure or strictly enforced ferry regulations.

The allegation that warnings from passengers were ignored by the operator points to a dangerous culture of normalization regarding risk. Empathy must drive our river transport policies, ensuring that safety is a right for all, not a luxury for the few.