Mathura (UP), April 10 Just moments before the tragedy occurred, a group of pilgrims from Punjab, whose boat capsized in Vrindavan, were seen clapping, chanting "Radhe Radhe," and immersing themselves in the spiritual atmosphere on the Yamuna River.
A video, which is now circulating widely, captures the final carefree moments – smiling faces surrounded by the calm waters of the river. Soon after, disaster struck near Kesi Ghat, resulting in at least 10 deaths and several others going missing.
The visuals have also raised serious safety concerns, as none of the approximately 30 passengers on the motorized boat appeared to be wearing life jackets, with some survivors alleging that the boat was overcrowded with people far beyond its capacity.
Officials and eyewitness accounts suggest that basic safety measures were ignored, which proved fatal.
The boat, carrying pilgrims largely from Ludhiana, Muktsar, and Jagraon in Punjab, and a few from Hisar in Haryana, reportedly capsized in the deep waters between Kesi Ghat and Banshi Vat after hitting a floating pontoon.
Most of those on board were part of a larger group of over 100 pilgrims. Families and relatives were together for what was meant to be a spiritual outing.
Survivors said that the signs of danger were visible, but were ignored.
"We told the boatman two or three times to slow down," recalled a young survivor. "The wind was strong, and the boat was moving too fast. But he didn't listen."
According to him, around 25 to 27 people were crammed into the boat, far beyond its reported capacity of about 15. None of them were given a life jacket.
As the boat approached a pontoon bridge, passengers again warned the boatman to stop. "We could see the bridge ahead and asked him to slow down. Twice, the boat narrowly avoided hitting it. The third time, it crashed," another survivor said.
The boat lost balance after hitting the pontoon and capsized, throwing everyone into the deep waters, estimated to be around 30 feet deep.
"There was chaos. People screaming, struggling to stay afloat," the survivor said. "We kept shouting for help, asking someone to call divers.
Rescue, when it came, was led not just by official teams, but also by nearby boatmen, workers repairing the pontoon bridge, and locals. Some survivors credit these locals and divers for pulling them out of the river in time.
"We were all family, relatives together," the survivor said, his voice trailing off. "Some have been rescued, but many are still missing or in hospitals. Everything happened in the blink of an eye," one survivor said.
Eyewitnesses said the boatman fled after the incident.
District Magistrate Chandra Prakash Singh has confirmed 10 deaths so far, with around 16 people rescued. However, families at the site fear the toll could rise, claiming that five to six members of their group are still unaccounted for.
The injured have been admitted to nearby hospitals, while search operations involving police, SDRF, fire services, civil defence personnel, the Army, and local divers continued late into the night. NDRF teams are also expected to join the efforts.