Search underway for Guwahati contractor missing in Dhubri river

Guwahati: A 29-year-old contractor from Guwahati vanished Wednesday evening after tumbling into the Tipkai River. Rekib Uddin, a resident of the Hatigaon area, was returning from a work site inspection at the Padmeralga High School building when the accident happened in Dhubri district.

Locals say the boat hit heavy currents midstream. Uddin lost his balance and hit the water. He was gone before anyone could reach him. People nearby searched the banks immediately and called the cops.

State Disaster Response Force teams and local police arrived shortly after. They scoured the downstream areas for hours but found nothing. The search remains active.

The incident highlights years of frustration over the stalled construction of the Fulkatari Bridge. Residents claim the lack of a bridge forces them to use dangerous machine-fitted boats during the monsoon. As one witness noted, commuters rely on these boats because "there is no functional bridge over the river."