Rescue operations continued near Keshi Ghat on Saturday after at least ten people died when a boat capsized a day earlier, officials said. Teams of National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) led the rescue work.
NDRF teams fished out the overturned boat on Friday.
Mathura DIG Shailesh Kumar Pandey told ANI, “The boat was recovered after 4 hours of continuous effort. The death toll is 10 so far as we reported earlier and their post-mortem is almost complete after which they will be sent to their homes.”
Agra Divisional Commissioner Nagendra Pratap said rescue operations were still underway and the injured were being treated at Vrindavan hospitals.
“Rescue operations are underway. 10 people died in the incident and postmortem is being done on the dead bodies before they are sent to their homes. The injured are being treated in Vrindavan. 5 are reported missing,” he said.
According to the police, around 25 to 27 people were on board at the time of the accident.
PM Modi announces ex gratia of ₹2 lakhs
Meanwhile, Narendra Modi announced ex gratia of ₹2 lakh from the Prime Minister’s National Relief Fund (PMNRF) for the families of those who died while receiving injuries ₹50,000.He expressed grief over the tragedy, condoled the families of the victims and wished the injured a speedy recovery.
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath described the incident as “extremely tragic and heartbreaking” and said officials had been ordered to ensure proper treatment for the injured.
Describing the incident as unfortunate, Uttar Pradesh Minister Lakshmi Narayan Chaudhary said pilgrims from Haryana and Punjab were affected after a sudden storm led to a boat capsizing in the Yamuna.
“It is an unfortunate incident. Pilgrims from Haryana and Punjab drowned after a sudden storm overturned in Yamuna river. 21 people have been rescued safely and are being given free treatment. 10 dead bodies including 5 males and 5 females are undergoing post-mortem. The entire district administration is working at the spot including NDRF and SDRF,” they said.
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, “My deepest condolences to the bereaved families. Some people are missing.”
The incident occurred after a boat carrying more than two dozen passengers collided with a pontoon bridge on the Jamuna River near Keshi Ghat in Mathura.
