30 feared drowned after Indian boat capsizes

An overcrowded boat capsized in a swollen river in eastern India today, drowning an unknown number of people, police said.

The boat was carrying 80 people when it sank in the Kosi River in Bihar state, said local police chief Ajitabh Kumar.

The Press Trust of India news agency said at least 30 people were feared dead, while about 40 others swam to the shore.

Saharsa is 125 miles north of Patna, Bihar’s capital.

The river was flooded because of heavy discharge of water from dams located in its upper reaches, Kumar said.