Chhattisgarh: Entire family lost in Indravati River boat tragedy in Bijapur district

Raipur/Bijapur Jan 24 (IANS) In a heartbreaking end to a prolonged search in the remote Bijapur district of Chhattisgarh, rescue teams recovered the final body on Saturday from the Indravati River.

The last victim, 70-year-old Bhado, was found entangled in thick bushes along the riverbank about a kilometer downstream from the accident site. The day before, the body of 25-year-old Sunita Kawasi was located around 500 meters from the mishap spot, concluding an intensive operation hampered by strong currents and dense vegetation.

Earlier, discoveries included the bodies of 45-year-old Podia and her little two-year-old son Rakesh, found bound together with a towel in what appeared to be a mother's desperate effort to protect her child as the waters swept them away.

The accident claimed the lives of an entire family from Bodga village: Podia, her son Rakesh, his wife Sunita Kawasi, and her grandfather Bhado. The loss has devastated the tight-knit tribal community in this isolated area.

Adding to the sorrow, the family's patriarch Sannu remains unaware of the tragedy. He had left weeks earlier for daily wage work in Andhra Pradesh, and poor network coverage in this Naxal-affected region has prevented any communication, leaving villagers grappling with how to break the devastating news to him.

The incident took place as the group returned from the weekly market in Uspari, a routine trip for residents of Bodga and nearby hamlets.

With no bridge, paved road, or alternative route across the river in this Maoist-influenced terrain near the dense Abujhmad forests, villagers depend entirely on overloaded wooden boats to cross.

During the journey with around a dozen passengers, the boat suddenly lurched in the monsoon-swollen currents and overturned, throwing four people into the river.

Elders in the area note that the Indravati has claimed numerous lives over the years, especially during the post-rainy season when it turns fierce and unforgiving.

Although ongoing anti-Naxal operations have brought some improvement in security with camps now present along former risky paths, the persistent lack of basic infrastructure continues to endanger lives in these remote tribal regions.

--IANS

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