GUWAHATI: The state government on Thursday stepped up the search operation to recover at least two more persons, whose families have filed missing reports with the district authorities, from the Brahmaputra River where a mechanized country boat capsized and sank on Wednesday.So far three bodies, including that of two girl students of Cotton College, have been fished out of the river. Officials said that two passengers of the boat, Rahul Ali and Kamal Rajak, are reported missing by their families. But, there are fears of many more, who were on board the boat, could be missing.While Inland Water Transport Department maintains that only 24 tickets were issued, survivors say there were at least 40 passengers. Twenty passengers have survived by swimming on their own.The government on Thursday suspended an executive engineer, the in-charge of the ferry ghat and two others of the Inland Water Transport (IWT) Department, holding them responsible for the mishap.Transport minister Chandra Mohan Patowary said that 10 additional buses of state transport corporation have been already introduced to transport people from and to North Guwahati as the ferry services have been suspended.On Thursday apart from Army, SDRF and NDRF personnel, an IAF chopper carried out aerial reconnaissance. The defence PRO Lt Col P Khongsai said that five officers, seven JCOs and 70 other ranks of the Army have been deployed in the search and rescue operation. “The Army personnel along with the SDRF and NDRF has been carrying out a search for the missing person and the boat but no fruitful result achieved till now.“Indian Navy personnel will join the operation and the task will be carried out again tomorrow. The army includes a team from the Engineer Regiment and the personnel from the IWT Battalion equipped with sophisticated equipment for the operation. Indian Air Force helicopter was also used for in the rescue operations,” the PRO said.The NDRF stated that its three teams with nine boats, 11 deep divers, four deep diving sets, underwater communication set, underwater torch and other life-saving aids from the 1st battalion are working in the search operation under the supervision of commandant SK Sastri.

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