2nd LD Writethru: Boat capsize kills 15 in India's Bihar

At least 15 people were killed Saturday after an overcrowded boat capsized in India's eastern state of Bihar, officials said.

The boat capsized in the river Ganga near the NIT (National Institute of Technology) Ghat in the heart of Patna, the capital city of Bihar.

Reports said the boat was carrying 40 people, much more than its carrying capacity.

"This evening at around 6:00 (local time),a boat carrying around 40 people capsized," Harish Yadav, a local resident told Xinhua.

"The boat was returning from a kite flying festival that was organized on an island in the middle of the river as part of Makar Sankranti (a festival celebration that marks end of winter solstice)."

Following the mishap, locals jumped into the river to carry out rescue work and help people to swim to the bank.

Officials said they rushed teams of disaster management to carry out rescue operations.

"We have reports that 15 bodies have been retrieved from the river," a local official said. "Some nine people have been rescued by the locals from the river and brought to the river bank, after which they were admitted in a local hospital."

Authorities fear death toll is likely to increase in the mishap.

Bihar's Chief Minister Nitish Kumar has expressed shock over the deaths in the boat capsize and ordered a high-level probe into the mishap. Endit