Bhubaneswar, Feb 9 (IANS) At least 10 picnickers drowned and about 10 others were missing when a boat capsized Sunday in the Hirakud Dam reservoir in Odisha’s Sambalpur district, police said.
The boat which went down in the Hirakud Dam, about 350 km from the state capital Bhubaneswar, was carrying more than 90 people against a capacity of 70. Most of the passengers were picnickers, police said.
The boat also lacked basic safety measures, officials said.
“Rescue operation is underway. Ten bodies have been recovered so far. Number of people missing could be seven to 10,” state’s Special Relief Commissioner Pradeep Kumar Mohapatra told IANS.