Rescue operations continued on Saturday near Keshi Ghat after at least ten people were killed in a boat capsizing a day earlier, officials said. Teams from the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) leading the rescue efforts.
The NDRF teams on Friday retrieved the boat that had capsized.
Mathura DIG Shailesh Kumar Pandey told ANI, "The boat has been retrieved after a 4-hour continuous effort. The death toll till now is 10, as informed earlier, and their post mortem is almost completed, after which they will be sent off to their homes."
Agra Divisional Commissioner Nagendra Pratap said rescue operations are still underway and that the injured are being treated in Vrindavan hospitals.
"Rescue operations are underway. 10 people died in the incident, and a post-mortem of the dead bodies is being done before being sent to their respective homes. The injured are being treated in Vrindavan. 5 are reportedly missing," he said.
According to police, around 25 to 27 people were on board when the accident took place.
PM Modi announces ex gratia of ₹2 lakh
Meanwhile, Narendra Modi announced an ex gratia of ₹2 lakh from the Prime Minister’s National Relief Fund (PMNRF) for the families of those who died, while the injured will receive ₹50,000. He expressed grief over the tragedy, offering condolences to the families of the victims and wishing a speedy recovery for the injured.
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath described the incident as "extremely tragic and heart-rending" and said officials have been directed to ensure proper treatment for the injured.
Uttar Pradesh Minister Lakshmi Narayan Chaudhary termed the incident unfortunate and said pilgrims from Haryana and Punjab were affected after a sudden storm led to the capsizing of the boat in the Yamuna.
"It is an unfortunate incident. Pilgrims from Haryana and Punjab drowned after a sudden storm capsized in the River Yamuna. 21 people have been rescued safely and are being given free treatment. 10 dead bodies, including 5 men and 5 women, whose postmortem is going on. Entire district administration is working on the ground, including NDRF and SDRF," he 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, “I express my deepest condolences to the bereaved families. Some people are missing.”
The incident occured after a boat carrying over two dozen passengers collided with a pontoon bridge on the Yamuna River near Keshi Ghat in Mathura.
