Nitish Kumar, the chief minister of Bihar, narrowly avoided injury on Saturday when the steamboat he was riding in hit a pillar of JP Setu while he was on his way to examine Chhath Ghat on the bank of the Ganga. All aboard the boat were safe, and there was no substantial damage, it is said. The incident happened when the steamboat had a mechanical problem and collided with a JP Setu pillar. According to reports, the chief minister and everyone else on board were safely transferred to another ship where they continued the inspection. The assessment was being done in anticipation of Chhath Puja, one of the state's largest celebrations during which thousands of worshippers bathe in the holy river.
