Daijiworld Media Network - Raipur/Bijapur

Raipur/Bijapur, Jan 24: A tragic chapter closed on Saturday in Chhattisgarh’s remote Bijapur district when rescue teams recovered the fourth and final body from the Indravati River, ending days of anguished searching after a boat accident wiped out an entire family.

The last victim, 70-year-old Bhado, was found caught in thick undergrowth along the riverbank, about a kilometre downstream from where the boat capsized. A day earlier, the body of 25-year-old Sunita Kawasi had been located roughly 500 metres from the accident site, despite strong currents and dense riverside vegetation complicating the operation.

Earlier recoveries had already painted a devastating picture. The bodies of 45-year-old Podia and her two-year-old son Rakesh were found tied together with a towel — a haunting sign of a mother’s final attempt to save her child as the river swept them away.

The victims belonged to the same family from Bodga village: Podia, her young son, his wife Sunita, and her grandfather Bhado. Their deaths have left the small tribal settlement in shock and mourning.

Adding to the tragedy, the family’s head, Sannu, remains unaware of the loss. He had travelled weeks ago to Andhra Pradesh in search of daily wage work. With poor mobile connectivity in this Naxal-affected region, villagers have been unable to reach him and are struggling with how to convey the devastating news.

The accident occurred while the family was returning from the weekly market in Uspari, a routine journey for residents of Bodga and surrounding hamlets. In the absence of bridges, paved roads, or alternative crossings in this forested, Maoist-influenced terrain near the Abujhmad region, locals rely on wooden boats to cross the Indravati.

On that day, a boat carrying around a dozen passengers reportedly lost balance in the swollen river and overturned, throwing four people into the turbulent waters.

Local elders say the Indravati has claimed many lives over the years, particularly after the monsoon when the river becomes fierce and unpredictable. While recent anti-Naxal operations have improved security and led to the establishment of camps along previously dangerous routes, the continued lack of basic infrastructure remains a deadly risk for tribal communities living in these isolated regions.