By IANS
Kathmandu : At least 11 people drowned and over 20 went missing after a boat packed with villagers going to watch Janmashtami celebrations capsized in midwestern Nepal.
Women and children formed the bulk of the passengers of the boat that met with disaster in the Rapti river, swollen with the recent rains, in Kanchanpur village in Banke district Wednesday.
While seven bodies were retrieved from the river Wednesday, search parties were informed by Indian authorities Thursday that four more bodies had been found on the Indian side of the river.
At least 21 people are still missing.
The passengers, mostly residents of Baijapur village, were heading for another village in the neighbourhood to watch a traditional dance held as part of the Janmashtami celebrations, a Hindu festival celebrating the triumph of justice over tyranny.
One of the lucky passengers rescued by villagers alleged that the tiny boat, that could barely accommodate a dozen passengers, had been crammed with more than 40 people and started tilting in the middle of the river.
The seven dead found in Nepal waters included a two-and-a-half year old baby, media reports said.
Last week, over 20 people died in a southern village after drinking tainted liquor.