Boat Capsize / Boat Capsizes In Jajpur's Tantighai River; One Dead, Two Missing

Jajpur Town, Oct 22: One woman died and another was hospitalised after a boat carrying four people capsized in the Tantighai River near Dauribandha ghat in Odisha’s Jajpur district on Thursday morning, a source said.

Two others, including a boy, remain missing, the source added.

The incident occurred at around 8 am when the group was returning to Mohammad Jamalpur after visiting Danarkul village to watch the immersion of Durga idols.

Boat Capsizes While Crossing River
The four occupants were identified as Shubhankar Dalai, Mania Dalai, Hemalata Dalai, 75, and Bhama Dalai, 60. They are residents of the Mohammad Jamalpur area.

According to family member Kaberi Dalai, the group had gone to Danarkul to witness the Durga Puja immersion. While returning home at around 8 am, their boat capsized as they crossed the river.

Local residents rescued Hemalata and Bhama and rushed them to a hospital. However, Bhama later died, while Hemalata remains under treatment at the Jajpur District Headquarters Hospital.

Search Underway For Two Missing Persons
Two other occupants of the boat remain missing. Further details about the search and rescue operation were not immediately available.

Authorities are expected to establish the circumstances that led to the boat capsizing. Further updates are awaited.

Also Read: Ganga River Boat Tragedy Claims 13 Lives

Alarming Data
Odisha continues to witness alarming cases of drowning deaths, with official data revealing that 1,750 lives have been lost to river drownings and 82 to the sea between 2022 and 2025.

The figures -- shared by Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi in December last year -- show deeply worrying district-wise patterns: Kataka recorded the highest casualties at 179, followed by Kendujhar (160), Mayurbhanj (154), Sambalpur (107) and Kendrapada (110). In 2025 alone, 427 people have drowned across the state, highlighting an escalating public safety crisis.