Four rescued passengers were taken to a hospital, where one died, Barman said.
Sixty people have been rescued, according to Prankrishna Gogoi of the Assam State Disaster Management Authority. He said about 120 people were on board the two boats.
The cause of the collision was not immediately clear.
The state’s chief minister, Himanta Biswa Sarma, tweeted that he was pained to hear of the accident and would visit the site on Thursday.