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17 still missing after boat capsizes in Yamuna River in UP’s Bandi district
According to officials, the incident occurred on Thursday when the boat carrying nearly 40 people from Marka to Jarauli Ghat in the neighbouring Fatehpur district capsized after one of its flanks broke. A total of 17 returned to safety, and ten women and four children were on board, they added.
Seventeen people are still missing while three bodies were found after a mid-size boat capsized in the Yamuna River in the Banda district, officials said on Friday.
According to officials, the incident occurred on Thursday when the boat carrying nearly 40 people from Marka to Jarauli Ghat in the neighbouring Fatehpur district capsized after one of its flanks broke. A total of 17 returned to safety, and ten women and four children were on board, they added.
“Three bodies — two women and a child — were fished out on Thursday after the tragedy, and 17 people swam to safety or were rescued,” said Banda superintendent of police, Abhinandan.
The search operations resumed on Friday morning after teams of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), and State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) stopped the operations the night before due to rain and slippery terrain.
Deputy inspector general of police (Chitrakoot Dham range) Vipin Mishra said, “Due to rain, it has become slippery, which is causing issues in the rescue, but still teams are working hard to trace the missing people.”
Banda district magistrate Anurag Patel said the administration was trying its best to rescue as many people as possible.
“NDRF, SDRF and a team of local divers are searching for 17 missing people. We are trying our best to rescue as many people as possible... The rescue operation has resumed since morning,” said Patel.
Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath has announced an ex-gratia relief of ₹4 lakh each for the kin of the deceased and instructed authorities for immediate help to the victims and proper treatment to those injured in the accident.
Cabinet minister Rakesh Sachan and minister of state Ramkesh Nishad reached Marka on Friday morning on the CM’s instructions to oversee the ongoing search operations, according to a state government statement
Ram Sajeevan, a Samagra village resident in Marka, was speaking to his wife Seema (40) when she suddenly stopped responding.
“I just wanted to ask her about the location; she told me she was coming back. Then, she was scared and told me the boat was sinking. She would not live. At that moment, the phone call was disconnected,” Sajeevan said.
“I kept calling thereafter and the call never connected. Fearing the worst, others and I rushed to the Yamuna. I am here since 4 pm yesterday (Thursday). There is no information about my wife,” he said.
In Baberu, a 10-year-old girl and her eight-year-old brother are looking for their parents Babu and Sita. “The kids are worried about their parents; every 10 minutes they ask where are they. What should we tell them? Someone takes them out to distract them,” said Shri Lal, Babu’s brother.
Ajmesh, one of the 17 survivors who swam to safety on Thursday, told the NDRF that there were ten women, eight-nine children and 18-19 males on the ill-fated boat. Apart from them, three motorcycles and seven bicycles were also on the boat. Asked about the location, he said it was in the middle of the river, and as soon as he was in the water, the only thing on his mind was saving his life.
On Friday, families and relatives of the missing people angrily confronted additional superintendent of police Laxmi Nivas Mishra and subdivisional Uma Kant Tripathi after tents were erected for officers due to excess heat.
“Our people are lost, you haven’t been able to locate them, and here you need shade! Sit with us in the open,” the people told the officials.
When asked about the incident, Mishra refused to comment.
