NEW DELHI, Sept. 5 (Xinhua) -- At least 10 people went missing, while more than 40 swam to safety after a boat carrying them capsized in a river in the eastern Indian state of Bihar, officials said Monday.
The boat capsized late Sunday evening in the middle of the river Ganga in Shahpur locality of Patna, the capital city of Bihar, according to an official from the district magistrate office in Patna.
Rescuers and disaster management officials were rushed to the spot, but the search operation was suspended late Sunday night and resumed Monday morning.
"The searches are underway and so far nobody has been fished out from the waters," the official said. "The ill-fated boat was ferrying laborers who were returning from work."
According to locals, all the persons on board came from the Daudpur area of Patna.
A team of the National Disaster Response Force divers has also arrived to trace the missing.
Boat capsizing incidents are common in India as many people, especially in rural areas, use traditionally made boats as a mode of transport. ■