Six trucks laden with stone chips on board a cargo vessel that was on its way to Katihar in Bihar fell into the Ganga in Jharkhand’s Sahibganj on Thursday night, prompting the Opposition to raise allegations of illegal transportation and demand a CBI probe.

Sahibganj deputy commissioner Ramniwas Yadav told The Telegraph that the cargo vessel had started from Samda ghat in Sahibganj at around 5pm but had developed technical snag several times and got delayed.

“What we have come to know from the staff in the trucks who managed to jump into the river and swim to the bank is that the vessel developed snag and was repaired and got delayed and somehow six trucks fell into the river after losing balance at a place where the water depth is over 100 feet. The incident happened at around 9pm,” Yadav said ruling out allegations that the vessel had started journey after the prohibited period (between sunset and sunrise).

A total of 14 trucks were being taken on the vessel.

Yadav said two NDRF teams (one from Supaul Bihar and one from Deoghar in Jharkhand) have been engaged to rescue the truck staff.

“We assume three persons are missing while others have managed to swim across. Till Friday evening (5.30pm) no one has been rescued,” said Yadav.

He said a four-member probe team led by additional collector, Motor Vehicle Inspector, SDO and district transport officer had been constituted to probe the mishap.

Assembly proceedings had to be adjourned twice because of protests by BJP MLAs seeking a CBI probe into the incident and compensation for families of those who died in the accident. They also demanded suspension of the deputy commissioner and the superintendent of police as they alleged that transportation was being done under their patronage.

Parliamentary affairs minister Alamgir Alam, however, said both Jharkhand and Bihar administrations were jointly carrying out search operations and a committee had been set up to probe the allegation of illegal transportation.

Earlier, during the Question Hour, BJP leader and former chief minister Babulal Marandi said: “In July 2021, I wrote to the chief ministers of Jharkhand and Bihar, informing them about the illegal transportation of stone chips via Ganga. Apart from authorised ferry ghats (banks), there are also some illegal ghats operating on the route. I demand a CBI probe into the matter and the suspension of Sahibganj DC and the SP as they, too, are involved in the illegal practice.”

The issue was raised in Parliament by BJP MP from Godda Nishikant Dubey who accused CM Hemant Soren of patronising illegal transportation of stone chips to Bihar and demanded a CBI probe.