Mathura, April 10
At least six tourists from Punjab were killed and several others went missing after a boat carrying more than two dozen people capsized in the Yamuna River in Vrindavan on Friday afternoon.
District Magistrate Chandra Prakash Singh confirmed the deaths and said all the tourists on board were from Punjab.
“Six bodies have been recovered. Sixteen to 17 people have been rescued safely so far. Efforts are ongoing to locate the missing,” Singh said.
According to officials, the boat was carrying more than two dozen tourists when the accident took place in the middle of the river.
Eyewitnesses said the boat began swaying violently after strong winds hit the area. The speed of the boat increased before it collided with a pontoon bridge and overturned.
Rescue operations were launched immediately by teams of the State Disaster Response Force and the National Disaster Response Force along with nearly 50 local divers.
A local diver, Gulab, said around 15 people had been pulled out of the river during the operation.
Police and district administration officials are jointly carrying out the rescue work. Divers are continuing to search the deeper sections of the Yamuna for those who are still missing.
Senior officials, including the district magistrate and the superintendent of police, reached the site and are monitoring the rescue operation.
The administration has not yet released the identities of the victims. Rescue efforts were continuing till late evening as officials searched for the remaining passengers.
