At least 24 people, mostly women and children, were feared dead after their boat capsized in a river in northern India on Thursday, a government official said. Rescuers have pulled out one body from the Harohar River in Sheikhpura district, about 25 miles (40 kilometers) east of Patna, the capital of Bihar state, said state disaster management official Prataya Amrit. Six people swam to safety and local fishermen were helping authorities in locating the 24 feared drowned, Amrit told The Associated Press. The area is unaffected by massive floods in the northeastern parts of the state, triggered by the bursting of a monsoon-swollen river. Sudhansu Shekhar, a local official, said the boat sank after it became entangled in a fishing net. Shekhar had earlier said that 40 people were in the boat, which was taking them to a village across the river to participate in a Hindu religious festival. Boat accidents are common in India, where overloading is common and safety regulations are often not observed.