Mathura boat tragedy: Death toll hits 15, hunt for missing person on
The death toll in the Mathura boat accident rises to 15, with two more bodies recovered from the Yamuna River. One person remains missing, and search operations continue with NDRF and Army teams
Mathura (The Uttam Hindu): The death toll in the boat accident on the Yamuna River in Mathura district of Uttar Pradesh has risen to 15. Rescue teams recovered two more bodies from the river on Monday. One person is still missing, and the search for him continues.
According to reports, one of the two bodies recovered has been identified as Yash Bhalla alias Yuvraj, a resident of Punjab, while the other has been identified as Monica. Officials said Yash Bhalla's body was found on the shore near Keshi Ghat, near Deora Baba Ghat. The body was found badly mutilated.
The entire rescue operation is being carried out by a team of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF). The team is continuously conducting searches in the Yamuna River, searching for missing people. The police have taken the recovered bodies into their custody and sent them for post-mortem. In addition, joint teams of the Army's Strike Corps and the NDRF are engaged in relief and rescue operations in the area.
The accident occurred on April 10th near Vrindavan when a boat capsized in the Yamuna River. Most of the people on board were reportedly from Punjab and were on a religious pilgrimage to Vrindavan. The passengers were part of a group of approximately 150 pilgrims from Ludhiana and Muktsar districts.
More than two dozen people were aboard the boat at the time of the incident. It is reported that the boat suddenly drifted into deeper waters mid-river and collided with a heavy object, causing it to lose balance and capsize. Several people were swept away by the accident.
According to local authorities, a pontoon bridge was recently removed in the area where the accident occurred due to rising water levels. After the bridge was removed, some pontoon drums were left floating in the water. It is suspected that the boat may have collided with one of these drums, causing the accident.
At present, the administration and relief teams are continuously carrying out search operations and every part of the river is also being searched with the help of drones so that the missing person can be found as soon as possible.