At least 10 tourists lost their lives after a steamer carrying around 30 passengers capsized in the Yamuna River in Vrindavan on Friday afternoon, officials confirmed.
According to Chandra Prakash Singh, the victims died due to drowning after the vessel overturned midstream. Authorities rushed to the spot soon after receiving information about the accident, and a large-scale rescue operation was launched.
According to the Police, 22 individuals have been rescued and shifted to hospitals, but investigation is underway to determine how many of them are safe.
Officials said all the tourists on board were from Punjab and had visited the religious town for sightseeing.
Police personnel have begun questioning fellow travellers who accompanied the victims to gather details about the incident. Meanwhile, a large crowd gathered along the riverbank as rescue teams continued their search for those still unaccounted for.
Taking cognisance of the incident, Yogi Adityanath directed senior officials to immediately reach the accident site and oversee relief and rescue operations. Authorities are working to ensure that all missing passengers are located and that necessary assistance is provided to affected families.
10 Bodies recovered: Mathura DIG
Mathura DIG Shailesh Kumar Pandey said that the accident occurred around 3:15 pm on the Yamuna River, near a pontoon bridge site. According to preliminary information, nearly 25 to 27 people were travelling on the boat at the time of the incident. Initial findings based on eyewitness accounts suggest that the vessel collided with the pontoon bridge, which led to the mishap.
He further stated that ten bodies have been recovered so far, while rescue and relief operations remain underway.
"Teams from the Fire Services and the Police, along with local divers and boatmen, are all actively engaged in relief and rescue operations here. Teams from the NDRF and SDRF have also departed from their respective bases and are expected to arrive at the scene very shortly. A search is currently underway for all individuals who remain missing," he said.
