Mathura/Chandigarh | A boat carrying tourists, primarily from Punjab, capsized in the Yamuna in Vrindavan on Friday afternoon, leaving at least 10 people dead and several others missing, officials said.
The accident occurred near Kesi Ghat when the boat carrying over two dozen tourists moved into deeper waters and hit a floating pontoon, they said.
Authorities noted that a pontoon bridge had recently been dismantled in the area due to rising water levels, leaving some pontoon drums in the river, one of which the boat is believed to have collided with.
District Magistrate Chandra Prakash Singh reported six fatalities earlier and later rescuers recovered four more bodies, taking the toll to 10, the district administration officials confirmed.
"Sixteen to 17 people have been rescued safely so far. Efforts are ongoing to locate the missing," the DM said earlier, adding that all tourists onboard were from Punjab.
The district magistrate said the exact number of people on board the boat at the time of the accident is yet to be ascertained. However, based on inputs from accompanying pilgrims, three to four persons are still reportedly missing.
Medical authorities at the Vrindavan Joint Hospital said the deceased include six men and four women.
The tourists were part of a larger group of around 150 pilgrims from Ludhiana and Muktsar in Punjab who had come to Vrindavan.
Search operations are being carried out by police, State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), fire services, civil defence teams, the Army and local divers, while the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) teams are also expected to join the efforts soon, officials said.
Locals told the media that the boat began to sway violently due to gusty winds, picked up speed and collided with a pontoon bridge, causing it to overturn.
Officials, however, said that the boat collided with a floating pontoon left behind after the pontoon bridge was dismantled recently.
Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has taken cognisance of the incident and expressed deep grief over the loss of lives. He conveyed his condolences to the bereaved families.
The chief minister has directed officials to expedite the ongoing relief and rescue operations and ensure that the injured are provided immediate and proper medical treatment, officials said.
Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann spoke to Adityanath and said all necessary assistance will be provided to the victims. He said the boat was carrying 32 people hailing from Jagraon city in Punjab for darshan in Vrindavan.
Senior UP officials, including the district magistrate and superintendent of police, visited the spot to monitor the situation.
Additional Director General of Police Anupam Kulshreshtha, Divisional Commissioner Nagendra Pratap, Deputy Inspector General Shailesh Kumar Pandey, District Magistrate Chandra Prakash Singh and other senior administrative officials are present at the spot, supervising rescue operations and efforts to trace the missing pilgrims.
The Ludhiana administration has set up dedicated control rooms in Ludhiana and Jagraon -- 01624223226 (SDM Jagraon office) and 01612403100 (Deputy Commissioner Office Ludhiana).
Special teams of civil and police officers have already been dispatched from Ludhiana to Vrindavan, officials said.
