Three dead, 12 feared drowned as boat capsizes in Yamuna in Uttar Pradesh's Banda

JHANSI/LUCKNOW: At least three people have died while 12 people have been feared drowned as a boat carrying nearly 30 passengers capsized in Yamuna river in UP’s Banda district on Thursday.
While bodies of a woman and two children were recovered, 15 passengers were rescued by the State Disaster Response Fund and police teams.
Twelve passengers, however, were still missing.
The identities of the three deceased were yet to be ascertained.
Police said that the tragedy happened at around 3pm when over 30 passengers on board the ill-fated boat were going to Jarauli Ghat in Fatehpur district from Marka area of Banda on the occasion of Raksha Bandhan.

Expressing grief at the demise of passengers, chief minister Yogi Adityanath directed the district administration to immediately reach the spot and carry out rescue and relief work. He directed DM, DIG, NDRF and SDRF units to go to the spot for rescue operations and also to provide proper treatment to those rescued.
Narrating the sequence of events, DIG, Chitrakoot Dham Range, Vipin Mishra, who was on the spot to supervise the rescue operations, told TOI that the boatman Babu Nishad told police that around 30 residents of Marka were going to Fatehpur on his boat crossing the Yamuna river.
"Around 3pm, when the boat was in the middle of the river, one of the oars used for rowing suddenly broke and Nishad lost control due to strong wind," said Mishra, adding "as the boat was capsizing, some of the passengers swam to the nearest river bank and raised an alarm."

Later, police teams along with the SDRF pressed their divers into the rescue operation and at least 15 passengers were saved. They also recovered three bodies.
"Those rescued were taken to the local health center for treatment," added Mishra.