Deep in Chhattisgarh’s Bastar heartland, the Indravati River turned deadly on Wednesday, swallowing a boat carrying six villagers. A mother’s valiant effort to shield her newborn failed as both drowned, with two others still lost in the waters 18 hours on.
The overturning happened at Uspari Jheel Ghat during a routine return from Bodga village’s weekly market. Powerful currents caught the small craft midway, hurling passengers into the raging flow around 5 PM.
Villagers heroically fished out two survivors, ferrying them to safety. But rescue pros from 80 km distant Bijapur couldn’t reach before dark, stalling operations until Thursday morning.
After relentless combing, divers recovered the tragic pair: the infant strapped to its mother with a towel, evoking profound sorrow. The father and a young boy from the party remain elusive, prompting expanded searches along the banks.
Medical support hovers nearby, prepared for any breakthrough. This isn’t isolated—frequent capsizings plague these bridge-less stretches, exposing frail emergency systems. Voices from the ground demand bridges, life jackets, and trained responders to avert future heartbreak.
As families await news, aid flows to the affected, but the incident spotlights infrastructure gaps in India’s remote interiors.