The boat, which was capsized in the Yamuna River, was retrieved on Saturday morning. Reports say that five people are still missing. At least 10 tourists were dead and 22 people suffered serious injuries after a boat in the Yamuna River collided with a pontoon bridge on Friday.

"For the past four hours, we had been trying to remove the boat, which had overturned and gotten trapped in a deep swamp area," DIG (Agra range) Shailesh Kumar Pandey said.

What Did The Police Say?

Pandey also mentioned that there is a possibility that some of the missing persons might have drowned in the river. However, the DIG clarified that search operations will be continued until all the missing people are found.

"The condition of those injured in the mishap is reported to be stable. The post-mortem examination of the bodies is nearly complete. Arrangements are underway to transport the bodies of the deceased to their respective places," the DIG said.

He underlined that the issue will be thoroughly examined. Better safety standards will be guaranteed, and gaps will be filled. "Those accountable for the accident will face severe consequences," Pandey declared.

Hema Malini, the MP for Mathura, offered her sympathies on the terrible event. "I am deeply saddened to hear about the loss of life. My heartfelt condolences go out to the families in this hour of grief. I pray to Lord Krishna for the speedy recovery of those injured and for strength for the families of the deceased," she said in her message.

The Accident

The boat capsized in the Yamuna in Vrindavan on Friday afternoon while transporting tourists, mostly from Punjab.

The accident took place near Kesi Ghat when the boat carrying over two dozen tourists moved into deeper waters and hit a floating pontoon, officials said.

The boat was struck at one of the pontoon drums in the river after a pontoon bridge in the region was recently dismantled owing to rising water levels, according to the authorities.

The deceased have been identified as Kavita Rani (49), Charanjit (40), Sapna Hans (55), Rikesh Gulati, Madhur Behl, Asha Rani, Pinki Behl, Anju Gulati, Ishan Kataria, and Minu Bansal, according to an official statement.

Those missing have been identified as Manik Tandon, Pankaj Malhotra, Rishab Sharma, Yash Bhalla, and Monika.

The visitors were among a bigger group of roughly 150 pilgrims who had traveled to Vrindavan from Punjab's Ludhiana and Muktsar.

Locals told the media that the boat overturned as it started to wobble violently owing to strong gusts, gained speed, and struck a pontoon bridge.

However, officials claimed that after the pontoon bridge was recently disassembled, the boat struck a floating pontoon that was left behind.



Also In News