WATCH - Indian Coast Guard rescued 181 pilgrims after their ferry boat ran aground in Sagar Island

Kakdwip: The Indian Coast Guard (ICG) on Tuesday successfully rescued about 181 pilgrims from the water body when their mechanised ferry boat got stranded in the swallow water of Namkhana, Kakdwip near Sagar Island in West Bengal's South 24 Parganas district, official sources said.

Sources said the boat got stranded while the pilgrims were returning from the Sagar Island after celebrating the Makar Sankranti on Monday.

The incident occurred as the pilot failed to fathom the water level due to poor visibility.

After an alarm sounded the Coast Guard alerted its available manpower and resources and evacuated all the stranded pilgrims to Kakdwip in phases, sources said.

@IndiaCoastGuard Hovercrafts from #Haldia rescued approx 175 pilgrims from a grounded ferry off Namkhana, #Kakdwip today. Pilgrims were returning from #GangaSagar after a holy dip on Makar Sankranti when the ferry ran aground due to very poor visibility. Rescue is in progress. pic.twitter.com/aQ3mbJGvzC

— Indian Coast Guard (@IndiaCoastGuard) January 16, 2024

People will have to cross the Muriganga from Namkhana to reach Sagar Island. The depth of water in the Muriganga depends on the tides. During low tide, some sections have only ankle-deep water. It is suspected that the pilot of the ferry entered one such section due to poor visibility and ran aground.