According to official, the incident occurred when a packed steamer carrying over 300 passengers was caught in a storm and subsequently capsized. According to BBC News, poor safety standards mean ferry accidents are common on the river but that this is one of the worst disasters in recent memory. The incident occurred at Medortari near the Fakirganj village in the
Dhubri district, about west of
Guwahati. The Superintendent of Police, Pradip Saloi, told
The Hindu: "The ferry, originating from Dhubri and going towards Medortari (Buraburi), capsized near Fakirganj. We are not sure about the actual number of passengers. We have been told that there were 250–300 passengers. However, there were reports of many swimming to safety." Reuters reported that a police officer had said that the ferry had neither lifeboats nor life jackets and was overloaded with people and goods. Most of the passengers were farmers and farm families from the local area. "Then the storm became more intense and the boat split into two parts before sinking," Ali was quoted as saying by
Channel 4 News. ==Response==