Guwahati, Jan 28: The National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) joined ongoing rescue operations on Wednesday to locate six people missing after a machine-operated country boat sank in the Brahmaputra River in Assam’s Barpeta district on Tuesday afternoon.

Barpeta Revenue Circle Field Officer Jyotirmoy Choudhury told PTI that search efforts by multiple agencies resumed this morning, but no trace of the missing individuals has been found yet. “Experts are working very hard to find them,” he said.

The boat, carrying 22 passengers from Rahampur to Borghul char (riverine islands), reportedly hit a whirlpool and sank. Most passengers were rescued by a nearby boat, with immediate help from police, civil administration, State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), and locals.

The missing include Madhu Mia (60), Sukurjan Nesa (45), and four children: Amina Parbin (8), Rahul Amin (7), Aryan Islam (4), and Junufa Yasmin (5). Locals noted the boat lacked safety measures, with no life jackets provided to passengers.