Nine pilgrims from Punjab and one from Haryana died after a motorboat carrying a group of devotees capsized in the Yamuna river in Vrindavan area of Mathura district on Friday, police said.
According to police, the motorboat was carrying around 27 pilgrims. Fifteen people were rescued and taken to hospital, where doctors said their condition was stable.
Two to three persons may still be missing, police said, adding that additional lights have been installed for overnight rescue operations.
The deceased were identified as Kavita Rani Bahl and her son Madhur of Jagraon in Ludhiana district of Punjab; Charanjit and his wife Pinky Bahl of Jagraon; Meenu Bansal of Ludhiana; Rakesh Gulati and his wife Anju of Ludhiana; Sapna Hans of Moga; Ishaan Kataria of Jagraon and Asha Rani of Hisar (Haryana), officials said.
Those missing have been identified as Manik Tandon, Pankaj Malhotra, Dinky Bansal, Rishab Sharma, Yash Bhalla and Monika.
Among the 22 injured, Pinki, Manju, Savita, Tanish Jain, Rekha, Rajinder Kaur, Saroj and Dolly are undergoing treatment, while the condition of others is stated to be stable, according to a statement.
Citing the survivors’ accounts, police said that the boat is believed to have struck a pontoon bridge and overturned after the operator apparently misjudged the distance, according to police.
Teams from the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) were rushed to the spot to join the rescue operation by police personnel, boatmen and local divers, police said.
“So far, 15 people have been rescued and the operation is underway. All the victims are from Punjab and had been staying in Mathura for the last two days. The motorboat was carrying them across the river to a temple,” said Rajeev Kumar Singh, Additional Superintendent of Police, Mathura.
Medical and administrative teams have also been deployed at the scene, coordinating with emergency responders to ensure prompt assistance to the victims, police said.
“We have so far recovered the bodies of 10 devotees — five men and five women — all from Punjab,” said Shailesh Kumar Pandey, Deputy Inspector General of Police, Agra Range.
Preliminary inquiries suggest that the victims had hired the motorboat to cross the river to visit a temple. The vessel overturned between Banshi Vat and Keshi Ghat in the Vrindavan area, police said, adding the operator, however, managed to swim to safety.
Expressing his condolences on loss of lives, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath wrote on X, formerly Twitter, “The loss of lives in the accident is deeply painful. I pray to Lord Rama for peace to the departed souls, strength to the grieving families to bear this loss, and a speedy recovery for the injured.”
The chief Minister also directed the officials to ensure proper medical treatment for the injured and provide appropriate compensation to the deceased’s families.
Punjab CM Mann, in a post on X, said, “I spoke with Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Ji… every possible assistance will be provided to the victims. I am in contact with the Uttar Pradesh government…,” he added.
The Ludhiana administration has set up dedicated control rooms in Ludhiana and Jagraon — 01624223226 (SDM Jagraon office) and 01612403100 (Deputy Commissioner Office Ludhiana).
Ludhiana Deputy Commissioner Himanshu Jain said authorities in Punjab are already in contact with their counterparts in Vrindavan, adding that most victims of the tragedy are from Dugri and Jagraon areas in the district.
He said special teams comprising both civil and police officers were dispatched to Vrindavan for better coordination among the authorities and he is constant touch with Mathura Deputy Commissioner.
“Ludhiana administration has announced that injured can avail free of cost treatment and they can contact on the helpline numbers which we have issued,” he said, adding that many families whose kin have either died or have been injured have left for Mathura.
The administration is in touch with the kin and has assured every possible assistance which is being facilitated in co- ordination with the UP authorities.
President Droupadi Murmu condoled the loss of lives and prayed for the swift recovery of those injured. “The news of the deaths of several people in a boat accident in Mathura, Uttar Pradesh, is extremely sad. I express my deepest condolences to the bereaved families. I pray for the swift recovery of those who have been injured,” Murmu said in a post on X in Hindi.
Union Minister of State for Railways Ravneet Singh Bittu also expressed shock and grief at the incident. “Extremely shocked by the tragic news of the boat accident of devotees from Jagraon in Vrindavan. No words can heal the pain of losing a loved one on a spiritual journey,” Bittu said in a post on X.
Bittu said the administration is working tirelessly on-site for relief and rescue.
Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini termed the incident as extremely tragic and heart-wrenching. “…My deepest condolences are with all the grieving families. At the same time, I pray for the swift recovery of the injured,” Saini said.
Shiromani Akali Dal president Sukhbir Badal and Punjab Congress president Amrinder Singh Raja Warring also expressed their condolences.
My mother wanted to visit Vrindavan, now battling for life, says eyewitness
Shwet Jain, 32, a resident of Ludhiana in Punjab, and an eyewitness to the tragedy, said he and his mother Rekha Jain, 50, were on the boat when it suddenly crashed into a bridge which was being repaired. While Shwet received serious rib injuries, his mother Rekha is battling for life in the intensive care unit (ICU) of Ram Mission Hospital, Vrindavan.
“My mother wanted to visit Vrindavan as my sister recently got married. My mother was very happy that my sister’s marriage was solemnized happily. Today, she is battling for her life in the ICU. Doctors say she is on a ventilator. Water has entered her lungs and doctors are not telling anything,” said Shwet, who works at a mobile phone shop in Jagraon.
Fighting back tears, Shwet said: “A group of 30-32 pilgrims decided to go boating. There were two boats. They shifted 8-10 in another boat and 20-22 of us were in one. An bridge was floating in the river. There were no safety arrangements. The boatman was trying to push the bridge with the boat. If the work of bridge repair was ongoing, why were the boats being operated on that side? Even after the boat capsized and we drowned, none came to help immediately. My mother and I were taken to different hospitals. Even the
hospital where my mother is admitted is asking for money. I have also received a serious rib injury.”
‘My son is missing…please make my message reach CM Yogi’: A Ludhiana father’s frantic appeal
In a frantic call for help to find his missing son, who was on the ill-fated boat that capsized in the Yamuna River in Vrindavan on Friday, Umesh Kumar Sharma from Ludhiana’s Jagraon appealed to Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath to deploy divers at the tragedy site.
Umesh, a resident of Jagraon’s Mohalla Ram Nagar, speaking to The Indian Express over the phone from Vrindavan, said: “My 18-year-old son Rishabh Sharma is missing. He is a law student. He is an ardent devotee of Radha Rani. He used to visit Vrindavan every few months and this time too, he just came due to his faith in Radha Rani. He is now missing. I appeal to UP CM Yogi ji to please help finding my son…”.
Rishabh had come to Vrindavan along with the other pilgrims. On Friday, Umesh rushed to Vrindavan after receiving news of the mishap. Frantically searching for his son, he took to social media and posted a video on Facebook while standing at the tragedy site on the banks of the Yamuna River. Umesh said that on Friday, no divers were present at the site to find the missing persons.
In his video appeal, Umesh, in tears, said: “I am Umesh Kumar Sharma from Jagraon. I am taking to social media because no diver is present here. My child is missing. Please share this video and make it reach CM Yogi.. My son is not being found. Please help me…”
On Saturday morning, Umesh told The Indian Express: “The divers have now been deployed. The administration has reduced the water flow in the river to find the missing persons. I am hoping that my son will be found soon now.”
Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced Rs 2 lakh financial aid for families of the deceased and Rs 50,000 for injured after a boat capsized in Vrindavan. (PTI Photo) 
Share
