Tragic Boat Capsize in Mathura: What We Know About the Incident
Overview of the Boat Tragedy
Mathura (UP): A tragic incident occurred on Friday when a boat capsized in the Yamuna River, resulting in the deaths of 10 tourists, with 22 others injured and five still unaccounted for. A senior police official involved in the rescue efforts confirmed that the boat has been recovered, and no bodies were found trapped beneath it.
The retrieval of the boat took place early Saturday morning, but the search continues for the five missing individuals.
DIG (Agra range) Shailesh Kumar Pandey stated that the recovery operation faced challenges as the boat had overturned and was stuck in a deep swamp area for several hours.
He mentioned that some of the missing persons might have drowned, but the search will persist until they are located.
The condition of the injured individuals is reported to be stable, and the post-mortem examinations for the deceased are nearing completion. Efforts are being made to return the bodies to their families.
Pandey assured that a thorough investigation into the incident will be conducted.
He emphasized the need for improved safety measures and indicated that strict actions would be taken against those responsible for the tragedy.
Mathura MP Hema Malini expressed her sorrow regarding the incident, offering condolences to the bereaved families. She stated, "I am deeply saddened to hear about the loss of life. My heartfelt condolences go out to the families in this hour of grief. I pray to Lord Krishna for the speedy recovery of those injured and for strength for the families of the deceased."
The boat was reportedly carrying tourists, mainly from Punjab, when it capsized in Vrindavan on Friday afternoon.
The accident took place near Kesi Ghat as the boat, carrying over two dozen tourists, ventured into deeper waters and collided with a floating pontoon.
Officials noted that a pontoon bridge had been recently removed due to rising water levels, leaving some pontoon drums in the river, one of which the boat is believed to have struck.
District Magistrate Chandra Prakash Singh initially reported six fatalities, but rescuers later recovered four additional bodies, raising the death toll to 10.
The deceased have been identified as Kavita Rani (49), Charanjit (40), Sapna Hans (55), Rikesh Gulati, Madhur Behl, Asha Rani, Pinki Behl, Anju Gulati, Ishan Kataria, and Minu Bansal.
The missing individuals include Manik Tandon, Pankaj Malhotra, Rishab Sharma, Yash Bhalla, and Monika.
The tourists were part of a larger group of approximately 150 pilgrims from Ludhiana and Muktsar in Punjab visiting Vrindavan.
Local witnesses reported that the boat began to sway violently due to strong winds, accelerated, and collided with a pontoon bridge, leading to its capsizing.
However, officials clarified that the boat hit a floating pontoon that was left in the river after the dismantling of the pontoon bridge.