As many as nine people went missing after a boat capsized in the Hamirpur district of Uttar Pradesh, said the police on Thursday, adding that three of them were rescued. The incident happened on Wednesday evening in Kutubpur Patiya hamlet under Bhauli gram panchayat under the jurisdiction of the Kurara police station.
The nine people on the boat were returning from a river island after purchasing cucumbers and muskmelons when the boat suddenly lost control and capsized around 7 pm. The three who were rescued were identified as Vishnu, Rinku and Parul, while the missing are Akanksha (9), Rani (9), Brijrani (25), Labhyansh (5), Mahesh (6), and Aditya (11).
"A boat carrying 9 people from Ghatampur capsized in the Yamuna River. Upon receiving the news, local villagers and police arrived at the scene," Hamirpur District Magistrate (DM) Abhishek Goyal told reporters on Wednesday evening. "The surviving boatman reported that the boat didn’t capsize but submerged on its own. Those who knew how to swim managed to get out, while the search continues for the six missing individuals."
According to police, teams of National Disaster Response Fund (NDRF), State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF) and flood pack units remain deployed for the rescue operation.
"A total of nine people were on board the boat. Three individuals managed to swim to safety, while six people remain missing: specifically including one woman and five children aged between 5 and 15 years," Banda Division DIG (Deputy Inspector General) Rajesh Yash said.
Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MLA Manoj Prajapati, meanwhile, said the Uttar Pradesh government is continuously monitoring the situation, adding that action will be taken accordingly. He also said a report will be submitted to Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath after a thorough investigation.
"A boat has capsized in the Yamuna River in which 6 people are still missing. 5 children and one woman are among them... The administration is fully alert. 3 SDRF teams are deployed," the BJP leader said, while speaking to reporters after arriving at the scene on Wednesday night.
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