At least ten people from Punjab drowned in the Yamuna river when a boat carrying a group of Punjabis capsized at Keshi Ghat in Vridavan in Mathura district of Uttar Pradesh.
Deputy Inspector General (DIG) Agra Range Shailesh Pandey informed that at least 10 people drowned in a boat tragedy that occurred near KC Ghat in Vrindavan in Mathura district at around 3 pm on Friday.
“It was a group of 30 tourists from Ludhiana district in Punjab, who had hired two boats for a tour on the Yamuna river at Keshi Ghat in Vrindavan. At first glance, it seemed that one of the boats went out of control and lost its balance after colliding with the floating bridge on the Yamuna river. However, the exact reason will be determined after proper investigation,” Shailesh Pandey said.
“Rescue operations began immediately after the tragedy occurred and more than 15 people were rescued, but 10 died due to drowning. NDRF and SDRF teams were called in, and assistance was sought from the local army station in Mathura to assist in the rescue operation,” said DIG Agra Range.
“We have deployed the best divers available, who are part of a 100-man strong team deployed for the rescue. Teams from the fire department, police and administration are at the site with boats to search for the missing persons,” said DIG Agra Range Shailesh Pandey.
The group was from Ludhiana district, mostly from Jagraon town.
Mathura District Magistrate Chandra Prakash Singh at KC Ghat was supervising the rescue operation and informed that those rescued have been sent to Ram Krishna Hospital in Vrindavan, while other hospitals have been put on alert.
“The NDRF team in Ghaziabad has moved to Vrindavan and the local army unit in Mathura has been asked to help in the rescue operation. Professional divers are working and all required steps are being taken,” DM Mathura said.
Meanwhile, Chief Minister Yogi Aditya Nath extended his condolences to the victims of the boat tragedy in Mathura district on Friday. Officials in Mathura district are directed by the Chief Minister to ensure the best possible treatment of those rescued and shifted to hospitals, and to expedite relief and rescue operations.
In Punjab, Ludhiana Deputy Commissioner Himanshu Jain urged residents not to spread rumors or create panic, as the Ludhiana district administration and Punjab government are already in touch with the authorities in Vrindavan.
He informed that, for the benefit of the people, dedicated 24×7 helplines, with numbers 01624223226 (SDM Jagraon Office) and 01612403100 (Deputy Commissioner Ludhiana Office), have also been set up at Jagraon and in the district headquarters, Ludhiana.
He informed that as soon as the district administration was notified of the incident, special teams comprising civilian and police officers were already dispatched to Vrindavan to improve coordination among the authorities.
