Vrindavan Boat Tragedy: Pilgrims Seen Chanting Radhe Radhe Moments Before Overloaded Boat Overturned In Yamuna | VIDEO

Mathura: Moments before tragedy struck, the group of pilgrims from Punjab whose boat overturned in Vrindavan were seen clapping, chanting "Radhe Radhe" and soaking in the spiritual atmosphere on the Yamuna.

A purported video now circulating widely captures the final carefree moments -- smiling faces surrounded by the calm waters of the river. Soon, disaster unfolded near Kesi Ghat, leaving at least 10 people dead and several others missing.

The visuals have also raised serious safety concerns, as none of the 30-odd passengers on board the motorised boat appeared to be wearing life jackets, with some survivors alleging the boat was crammed with people well beyond its capacity.

Officials and eyewitness accounts suggest basic safety measures were ignored, which proved fatal.

The boat, carrying pilgrims largely from Ludhiana, Muktsar and Jagraon in Punjab and a few from Hisar in Haryana, reportedly sank in the deep waters between Kesi Ghat and Banshi Vat after hitting a floating pontoon.

Most of those on board were part of a larger group of over 100 pilgrims. Families and relatives were together for what was meant to be a spiritual outing.

Survivors said the signs of danger were visible, but ignored.

"We told the boatman two to three times to slow down," recalled a young survivor. "The wind was strong, and the boat was moving too fast. But he didn't listen." According to him, around 25 to 27 people were crammed into the boat, far beyond its reported capacity of about 15. None of them was given a life jacket.

As the boat approached a pontoon bridge, passengers again warned the boatman to stop. "We could see the bridge ahead and asked him to slow down. Twice, the boat narrowly avoided hitting it. The third time, it crashed," another survivor said.

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The boat lost balance after hitting the pontoon and overturned, throwing everyone into the deep waters, estimated to be around 30 feet deep.

"There was chaos. People screaming, struggling to stay afloat," the survivor said. "We kept shouting for help, asking someone to call divers.

Rescue, when it came, was led not just by official teams but by nearby boatmen, workers repairing the pontoon bridge and locals. Some survivors credit these locals and divers for pulling them out of the river in time.

"We were all family, relatives together," the survivor said, his voice trailing off. "Some have been rescued, but many are still missing or in hospitals. Everything happened in the blink of an eye," one survivor said.

Eyewitnesses said the boatman fled after the incident.

District Magistrate Chandra Prakash Singh has confirmed 10 deaths so far, with around 16 people rescued. However, families at the site fear the toll could rise, claiming that five to six members of their group are still unaccounted for.

The injured have been admitted to nearby hospitals, while search operations involving police, SDRF, fire services, civil defence personnel, the Army and local divers continued late into the night. NDRF teams are also expected to join the efforts.

(Except for the headline, this article has not been edited by FPJ's editorial team and is auto-generated from an agency feed.)