Mathura: A pilgrimage turned into tragedy on Friday when a boat carrying over two dozen passengers capsized near Keshi Ghat in Vrindavan, Mathura district in UP, leaving at least 10 people dead and several others missing.
Officials said the accident occurred after the vessel collided with a pontoon bridge on the Yamuna River during a sudden storm. Rescue operations, led by the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), continued through Saturday morning.
Mathura DIG Shailesh Kumar Pandey confirmed the boat was retrieved after a four-hour effort, with post-mortems of the victims underway. Agra Divisional Commissioner Nagendra Pratap added that five people remain unaccounted for, while the injured are being treated in Vrindavan hospitals.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced ex-gratia payments of Rs 2 lakh for the families of the deceased and Rs 50,000 for the injured. Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath described the incident as "extremely tragic and heart-rending," directing officials to ensure proper medical care.
Uttar Pradesh minister Lakshmi Narayan Chaudhary said pilgrims from Haryana and Punjab were among those affected. Families of victims recounted how their relatives had shared joyful videos from the pilgrimage hours before disaster struck.