Four picnickers, including two children, are feared drowned in river Brahmaputra at Baghmara, 15 km to the west of Jorhat town.

A team of State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) has launched an operation in search of the bodies.

The officer-in-charge of Pulibar police station said he rushed to the spot with a team of policemen as soon as he was informed about the incident by a member of a Village Defense Party (VDP).

On being informed, the police officer also shared the information with the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF).

Ali said about 10 to 12 picnickers, all from Jorhat, boarded a country boat that capsized in river Brahmaputra after going a certain distance.

Ali said the boatman and others saved themselves but the four including two minors went missing.

They are feared drowned in river Brahmaputra, the police officer said.

It is also not known whether all the four belonged to the same family.

“The others are not in a state to talk. So, I have not been able to ascertain the names of the four persons as of now,” Ali said.

A new picnic spot has been developed at Baghmara recently.

Meanwhile, Jorhat deputy commissioner Roshni A Korati has ordered an inquiry into the incident.

The probe will be conducted by the West Circle officer Uday Shankar Dutta who has been asked to submit the report within 15 days.

Smita Bhattacharyya is Northeast Now Correspondent in Jorhat. She can be reached at: [email protected]