Mathura boat capsize toll rises to 13; search on for 3 missing persons

The death toll in the boat capsize incident in the Yamuna river in Mathura rose to 13 on Sunday with the recovery of two more bodies, officials said, as search operations continued for three missing persons.

Superintendent of Police (Rural) Suresh Chandra Rawat said renewed efforts led to the recovery of the body of a college student, Dinki Bansal, near Devraha Baba Ghat, and that of Rishabh Sharma about 3 km from the accident site.

Incident details

The accident occurred on Friday afternoon when a boat carrying over two dozen tourists, mostly from Punjab, collided with a floating drum of a pontoon bridge and capsized near Keshi Ghat in Vrindavan.

Most of the victims were from Jagraon and Dugri areas of Ludhiana district.

Teams from the NDRF (National Disaster Response Force), SDRF (State Disaster Response Force), local police and district administration are continuing search operations despite challenges posed by strong currents and deep waters.

Circle Officer Sandeep Singh said the stretch of the Yamuna from Keshi Ghat to Gokul Barrage has been divided into seven sectors covering around 20 sq km.

Seven Station House Officers (SHOs) have been assigned to lead operations in each sector under the supervision of senior officials.

Additional District Magistrate Pankaj Kumar Verma said the search was earlier focused within a 14-km radius, but there is a possibility that bodies may have drifted further downstream.

Arrests and probe

Police said the boat operator, Pappu alias Dauji, was arrested on Friday night for alleged negligence.

He is accused of operating the boat without safety equipment such as life jackets and at high speed despite warnings from passengers.

Officials said the boat lost control after hitting a pontoon bridge drum and capsized.

The contractor, Narayan Sharma, responsible for repair work on the bridge, has also been arrested for allegedly carrying out work without prior notification.

A case has been registered under Section 105 (culpable homicide not amounting to murder) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) against both accused.

Safety lapses flagged

According to police, the boat did not have mandatory safety provisions and the operator lacked a valid licence.

Officials said repeated pleas from passengers to slow down were ignored.

Authorities said efforts are underway to locate the remaining missing persons, with rescue teams continuing operations across the designated sectors of the river.