Mathura: A tragic boat accident in the Yamuna river here has claimed 11 lives so far, with one more body recovered on Saturday during ongoing search operations. Officials also confirmed that the boat operator has been arrested.
The latest body was found near Devraha Baba Ghat, about one kilometre away from where the boat capsized in Vrindavan on Friday. The victim has been identified as 42-year-old Manik Tandon from Ludhiana.
Rescue teams, including the NDRF and Army personnel, have been searching the river for over 20 hours. So far, 22 people have been rescued, while four are still missing. Officials said the search is currently focused within a 14-kilometre stretch, but there is a chance that some may have been carried further downstream.
Authorities said that once the rescue work is complete, an inquiry will be ordered to find out what went wrong.
Police have arrested the boat operator, identified as Pappu. He is accused of not providing life jackets to passengers and driving the boat at high speed despite concerns raised by those on board. The boat reportedly lost control and crashed into a floating structure in the river, leading to the accident.
Earlier, the capsized boat was pulled out from the river and no bodies were found trapped underneath it. Officials said the injured are stable, and arrangements are being made to send the bodies of the victims back to their families.
Mathura MP Hema Malini expressed grief over the incident and offered her condolences to the families of those who lost their lives.
The boat was carrying tourists, mostly from Punjab, who had come to Vrindavan as part of a larger group of pilgrims. The accident happened near Kesi Ghat when the boat moved into deeper water and hit a floating pontoon drum.
Officials believe the collision happened due to leftover floating structures in the river after a pontoon bridge was recently removed because of rising water levels. Some locals also said strong winds may have caused the boat to lose balance before the crash.
(with inputs from agencies)
