3rd Ld Writethru: At least 50 feared killed in boat capsizing in northeast India

At least 50 people were feared drowned when an overloaded boat carrying 250 to 300 passengers capsized in India's northeast state Assam's Kolohi river, said police.

The engine of the boat carrying people on their way to a boat race broke down in the middle of the river and the vessel hit the pillar of a wooden bridge, said police.

Kamrup district deputy commissioner Vinod Kumar Seshan told local media that it is difficult to tell how many passengers are dead and he estimated the number to be at least 50.

The National Defense Reserve Force and state disaster response force teams have reached the site of the accident, 50km west of Guwahati, the state capital.

While many passengers had swum to safety, an unspecified number of people remained missing as the river was flowing faster than usual, said local daily Hindustan Times.

Kolohi river is a tributary of the Brahmaputra, the third largest river of India.

Boat capsizing incidents are not uncommon in India, mainly due to over packing and poor maintenance of the vessels. Endi