Six tourists have a narrow escape as boat capsizes in crocodile-infested Khola river in Odisha

Kendrapara, Nov 11 (UNI) Six tourists had a providential escape after the boat in which they were travelling capsized in the Khola River on Tuesday, triggering panic among passengers and raising fresh questions about the safety of tourist boats operating in the region. The incident has once again exposed the dangerous practice of operating ageing, decades-old private boats, often given a fresh coat of paint at the beginning of every tourist season, in the crocodile-infested river. The accident comes despite the Forest Department's assurance that a stringent Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) would be introduced to regulate river navigation and ensure…