A boat carrying pilgrims capsized in the Yamuna River in Vrindavan, Mathura, leaving at least 10 dead and 5 missing. A sudden storm caused the incident. Rescue operations by NDRF and SDRF are underway. PM Modi has announced financial relief.
Rescue efforts continued on Saturday morning near Keshi Ghat in Vrindavan, in Mathura district, after at least ten people died in a boat capsizing, officials said. The incident occured on Friday. The rescue operations are being carried out by the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and State Disaster Response Force (SDRF).
Rescue Ops Underway, PM Announces Ex-Gratia
Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced that an ex-gratia of Rs 2 lakh from the Prime Minister's National Relief Fund (PMNRF) would be given to the next of kin of each deceased. The injured would be given Rs 50,000.
The NDRF teams on Friday retrieved the boat that had capsized. Mathura DIG Shailesh Kumar Pandey told ANI, "The boat has been retrieved after a 4-hour continuous effort. The death toll till now is 10, as informed earlier, and their post mortem is almost completed, after which they will be sent off to their homes."
Agra Divisional Commissioner Nagendra Pratap said rescue operations are still underway and that the injured are being treated in Vrindavan hospitals. He added that five people are still missing. "Rescue operations are underway. 10 people died in the incident, and a post-mortem of the dead bodies is being done before being sent to their respective homes. The injured are being treated in Vrindavan. 5 are reportedly missing," he said.
Cause of Incident and Victims' Details
Uttar Pradesh Minister Lakshmi Narayan Chaudhary termed the incident unfortunate and said pilgrims from Haryana and Punjab were affected after a sudden storm led to the capsizing of the boat in the Yamuna. "It is an unfortunate incident. Pilgrims from Haryana and Punjab drowned after a sudden storm capsized in the River Yamuna. 21 people have been rescued safely and are being given free treatment. 10 dead bodies, including 5 men and 5 women, whose postmortem is going on. Entire district administration is working on the ground, including NDRF and SDRF," he said.
Families Grieve as Politicians Express Condolences
Meanwhile, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MLA from Ludhiana's Atam Nagar, Kulwant Sidhu, met the families of the victims and expressed condolences. Speaking to reporters, Kulwant Sidhu said, "I express my deepest condolences to the bereaved families. Some people are missing."
Family members of the victims recounted how their relatives had travelled to Mathura and Vrindavan for pilgrimage before the tragedy struck "I had a telephonic conversation with my family member, and they were very happy upon reaching there. Someone from the family called us and told us that their boat had capsized. We were not able to reach out to them. 8-10 people went there from our area," a relative said.
Another family member of the victim said, "Yesterday they left for Mathura, Vrindavan. Around 2.30 pm, they uploaded a video expressing their happiness. My family members are among those affected by the incident."
How the Tragedy Unfolded
The incident occured after a boat carrying over two dozen passengers collided with a pontoon bridge on the Yamuna River near Keshi Ghat in Mathura.
According to police, around 25 to 27 people were on board when the accident took place.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed grief over the tragedy, offering condolences to the families of the victims and wishing a speedy recovery for the injured.
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath described the incident as "extremely tragic and heart-rending" and said officials have been directed to ensure proper treatment for the injured.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by Asianet Newsable English staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)