PATNA: Senior officials in Patna and Saran districts administration and Bihar State Tourism Development Corporation (BSTDC) might face the music as the team probing the Sabbalpur diara boat tragedy on January 14 has clearly pointed out slackness on their part. Altogether 24 persons died when the countrymade boat carrying them back from diara to Patna after the kite festival organized by BSTDC capsized around 5.30pm on Makar Sanskranti The probe team comprising principal secretary (disaster management) Pratyaya Amrit and DIG (central range) Shalin submitted its report to principal secretary (home) Amir Subhani on Friday. "The boat tragedy probe committee submitted its report this morning and it is being studied. The state government will take further action based on thorough scrutiny of the report," Subhani told TOI."The report has been prepared on the basis of extensive field visits, survivors' account, statements of eyewitnesses and government officials on duty. We have also taken into consideration media reports and video clips shot at the spot on the day of the accident," Shalin told TOI.Speaking about the people and agencies found responsible for the accident, Shalin said, "We have tried to analyse and explain the lapses and oversights that led to the unfortunate incident and fixed responsibilities on those whom we have found guilty of such lapses and omission."The DIG added that the probe team has also made elaborate suggestions, which in the opinion of the probe team, can be implemented to prevent recurrence of such disaster in future.Sources claimed that the probe team took records from the logbooks of two government vessels — CL Kasturba of Inland Waterways Authority of India (IWAI) and MV Kautilya of BSTDC, which were used to ferry people from Gandhi Ghat to Sabbalpur diara. Apparently, the two ships, which ferried people for free, stopped operating after 4pm, which eventually led to overcrowding of private boats.Sources claimed that the probe team has pointed out the fact that despite advertisements issued by BSTDC in newspapers for inviting people to the kite festival, sufficient arrangements were not made for taking them back from the sandbar to the Ganga Ghat.Besides, the probe team has identified slackness on the part of district administrations of Patna and Saran for not making foolproof arrangements, including adherence to standard operating procedures (SoP) for organizing such events with mass participation. The probe team has verified the location of the officials deputed on the sandbar for the kite festival through the location of the mobile towers with which their phone was connected that day. Apart from mobile tower location, the probe team also interrogated the officials deputed on the site.

Stay updated with all the Latest Patna headlines here. For more exclusive & live news updates from all around India, stay connected with NYOOOZ.