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‘Bridge struck like a storm’: Survivors recount horror, flag safety lapses in boat tragedy near Vrindavan
Vijay Bahl, a resident of Ludhiana’s Jagraon who lost his wife and son, said the group had to switch boats in the middle of the river due to a mechanical fault.
At least 10 people were killed and several others remain missing after a tourist boat capsized in the Yamuna ricer near Vrindavan in Uttar Pradesh’s Mathura district on Friday, officials said.
The victims were mostly tourists from Punjab who had travelled to Mathura and Vrindavan on a pilgrimage when the accident occurred, with survivors describing a sudden, violent impact moments before the vessel overturned.
Vijay Bahl, a resident of Ludhiana’s Jagraon who lost his wife and son, said the group had to switch boats in the middle of the river due to a mechanical fault.
“In seconds, the bridge struck our boat like a storm. It overturned and we were thrown into the water,” he recalled to HT, describing how quickly the situation spiralled out of control.
Questions over safety lapses
Some survivors have raised concerns about possible safety lapses and the presence of hazardous structures in the river.
Shwet Jain, a 32-year-old Ludhiana resident whose mother is on ventilator support, questioned why boats were allowed near repair zones. “An iron bridge was floating in the river, and the boatman tried to push it away with the boat. That caused the mishap. Help did not arrive immediately after we capsized,” he said.
Officials indicated that remnants of a dismantled pontoon bridge may have played a role in the accident. An official familiar with the matter said that although the bridge had been removed due to rising water levels, some drums remained submerged in the river. “It is believed the collision with one of these submerged objects caused the boat to lose balance and overturn,” the official added.
Families recount last moments
Relatives of the victims said their family members had been in high spirits shortly before the tragedy.
"I had a telephonic conversation with my family member, and they were very happy upon reaching there," a relative said while talking to news agency PTI.
“Someone from the family called us and told us that their boat had capsized. We were not able to reach out to them. 8-10 people went there from our area,” they added.
Another family member added, "Yesterday they left for Mathura, Vrindavan. Around 2.30pm, they uploaded a video expressing their happiness. My family members are among those affected by the incident," PTI reported.
Sequence of events leading to capsize
According to officials, the incident took place around 3pm near Keshi Ghat when a boat carrying around 30 passengers lost balance after colliding with a floating pontoon drum.
Deputy inspector general of Police (Agra Range) Shailesh Pandey said, “A group of nearly 30 tourists from Ludhiana had hired two boats at Keshi Ghat. Prima facie, it appears one of them lost balance after colliding with a pontoon on the river. However, the exact reason will be ascertained after proper investigation.”
Massive rescue effort underway
A large-scale rescue operation is ongoing, with more than 100 personnel from the NDRF, SDRF, local police, and fire department deployed at the site. The Army station in Mathura has also been roped in to assist.
Over 15 people have been rescued so far and taken to Ram Krishna Mission Hospital, while efforts continue to locate those still missing.
“We have deployed divers. Teams from fire, police departments and administration are on the spot with boats to search those reported missing,” DIG Pandey said.
President Droupadi Murmu, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Punjab chief minister Bhagwant Mann, and Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath expressed grief over the loss of lives.
The Prime Minister announced an ex-gratia of ₹2 lakh each from the Prime Minister’s National Relief Fund for the families of those killed, and ₹50,000 each for the injured.
Mann said he had spoken with the Uttar Pradesh chief minister and assured support. “I spoke with Uttar Pradesh CM Yogi Ji... every possible assistance will be provided to the victims. I am in contact with the Uttar Pradesh government...” he said in a post on X.
