Mathura boat tragedy: Death toll climbs to 12; search ops continue

The death toll in the Mathura boat capsize tragedy rose to 12 after one more body was found in the Yamuna River. Multiple agencies, including NDRF and SDRF, are conducting extensive search operations, which have been divided into seven sectors.

The death toll increased to 12 in the Mathura boat capsize tragedy that occurred on Friday after one more body was recovered near Chamunda Ghat on Sunday, while extensive search and rescue operations continued along the Yamuna River in Vrindavan, Mathura district, officials said.

Search and Rescue Operations Continue

Additional District Magistrate (ADM) Amaresh Kumar said that multiple teams, including the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), Flood Police, Fire Brigade and local divers, are continuing coordinated search efforts across a divided stretch of the river. "NDRF-SDRF teams are continuing the search operation. Today, one more body (total death toll 12) was recovered near Chamunda Ghat. The body has been sent to the mortuary," he said.

He further said that the search operation resumed early morning on Saturday with intensified efforts to trace any remaining missing persons. "Again this morning, from around 6 am, our NDRF and SDRF teams have started the search operation, and now a dead body has been found near Chamunda Ghat. Family members have been called for identification, and currently, we are sending the body to the mortuary," he added.

Systematic Search Strategy

Kumar said the entire search area has been divided into seven sectors to ensure systematic coverage of the river stretch, with a focus on downstream areas where there is a higher possibility of locating bodies. "Today, we have divided the search campaign into 7 sectors, and our effort is to search down the line because now there are more chances of finding bodies further down. So our focus will be down the line, and all our teams are working on this," he said.

He added that all agencies deployed earlier continue to remain engaged in the operation. "...The teams which were working yesterday are all working today as well. There are 8 NDRF teams, 4 SDRF teams, 2 Flood PAC, Fire Brigade, and local divers. We have deployed a sufficient number of people for the search operation," he said.

Safety Measures Stepped Up in Ayodhya

Meanwhile, in Ayodhya, authorities have stepped up safety measures for devotees at river ghats amid rising concern over water safety. Ayodhya Circle Officer (CO) Ashutosh Tiwari said barricading has been installed at ghats to prevent bathing in deep waters and ensure crowd safety. "For the safety and convenience of the devotees coming to Ayodhya Dham, all our ghats have been secured by barricading so that they cannot take a bath in deep water," he said.

He added that boat operators have been instructed to strictly follow Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs), including the mandatory use of life jackets and safety equipment. "We have asked all the boatmen and sailors to follow proper SOP. They should keep more life jackets and tubes than the number of passengers. Boats should operate only at scheduled timings," he said.

He further said that SDRF, Water Police, Provincial Armed Constabulary (PAC) and civil police teams have been deployed to ensure safety and prevent any untoward incidents. He added, "For this, we have made adequate arrangements. SDRF, Water Police, PAC and civil police are there."

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