The boat was carrying a group of pilgrims from Punjab when it hit a pontoon bridge on the Yamuna River and rolled over. At least 10 of them died. The accident happened at Keshi Ghat in Mathura district, Uttar Pradesh, on Friday around 3 p.m.
Officials said more than 30 people from Ludhiana had hired two boats for the trip. Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann put the number aboard the capsized one at 32, and said the group had come from Jagraon city for darshan in Vrindavan. India Today described the vessel as overcrowded.
Police said 22 people were pulled from the water and sent to hospitals; India Today’s account had more than 14 rescued. Several others were feared missing, and the search went on through the afternoon.
What officials said about the cause
DIG Agra Range Shailesh Kumar Pandey told reporters that early witness accounts suggest the boat crashed into the bridge. “The prima facie cause of the collision, based on accounts provided by witnesses so far, appears to be that the boat crashed into the pontoon bridge, leading to the accident,” he said.
Mathura SP (Rural) Suresh Chandra Rawat pointed to the bridge itself. “The pontoon bridge was in a state of disrepair,” he said, adding that an agency had been doing maintenance work on the pontoons and that the accident was suspected to be connected with it.
An eyewitness told reporters the boat began to sway violently in midstream because of gusty winds. It picked up speed and hit the bridge, and it turned over.
Rescue and reaction
Fire services, police, local divers and boatmen were first in the water. Teams from the National Disaster Response Force and the State Disaster Response Force were on their way, with one NDRF unit leaving Ghaziabad for Vrindavan. Hospitals in Mathura and Vrindavan were put on alert, and the rescued were taken to the Ram Krishna hospital in Vrindavan, with ambulances and eight police response vehicles handling transport. District Magistrate Chandra Prakash Singh and the Superintendent of Police were at the scene.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath both expressed deep grief. Adityanath told officials to speed up rescue work, arrange the best medical treatment for the injured and get prompt help to affected families.
Mann wrote on X that he had spoken with Adityanath. “Every possible assistance will be provided to the victims,” he said. Divers were still searching the deeper sections of the river for the missing.
Sources
- 10 killed as boat with over 30 devotees onboard capsizes in River Yamuna in UP's Mathura district
- Bhagwant Mann condoles UP boat accident that killed 10, mostly from Punjab
