IndiaToday.in | Edited by Dev Goswami
New Delhi, September 14, 2017 | UPDATED 17:35 IST
At least 22 people drowned when an overcrowded boat capsized in the Yamuna river in Baghpat, Uttar Pradesh. A probe has been ordered into the incident.
An overcrowded boat capsized in Yamuna in Baghpat, Uttar PradeshTragedy hit Uttar Pradesh's Baghpat district today when an overloaded boat capsized in the Yamuna river. At least 22 people drowned and many more were missing when the boat, which was carrying around 60 people, sank near the Katha village.
Most of the people on board the boat in the Yamuna were labourers heading to Haryana, officials said.
Following the accident, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath announced an ex-gratia of Rs 2 lakh to the families of the dead and ordered a probe into the incident as search continued to rescue those missing after the boat capsized in the Yamuna.
"The boat was ferrying passengers more than its capacity. Most of the passengers of the ill-fated boat were women. As soon as the boat reached mid-stream it capsized," Baghpat district magistrate Bhawani Singh said.
Uttar Pradesh Police and Provincial Armed Constabulary personnel fished out at least 22 bodies, while 10 others were rescued, the Baghpat DM said.
The incident led to angry protests near the site of the tragedy. Angry that an overcrowded boat was allowed to ply, villagers jammed a highway and set a few vehicles on fire, witnesses said.
Baghpat DM Singh and his officials tried to pacify the mob, which refused to allow the bodies to be taken for autopsy. They allowed five bodies to be taken by the police. But when more bodies were taken out, they started dumping them on the river bank.
In a similar incident in Bihar's Patna district, six people from the same family drowned in the Ganga. The family had gone to take a bath in the river when a few of them slipped and fell into deeper waters.
The others drowned in an attempt to save them. Four of those dead were minors, officials said. The CM talked to the Patna district magistrate and gave him necessary directives and told him to make immediate payment of ex-gratia to the next of the kin of the victims.
The DM said that Rs 4 lakh would be paid to the next of kin of each of the deceased persons on Thursday itself.
(With inputs from agencies)
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