Bridge mishap capsizes Yamuna boat near Vrindavan, 10 dead

At least 10 people were killed and several others remain missing after a tourist boat capsized in the Yamuna River near Vrindavan in the Mathura district on Friday, officials said. Rescue operations were under way as divers and disaster response teams combed the river, with the daylight fading and currents proving challenging. The victims were mostly tourists from Punjab who had traveled to Mathura and Vrindavan on a pilgrimage when the accident occurred.

Survivors described a sudden, violent impact moments before the vessel overturned. Vijay Bahl, a resident of Ludhiana’s Jagraon who lost his wife and son, said the group had to switch boats in the middle of the river due to a mechanical fault. “In seconds, the bridge struck our boat like a storm. It overturned and we were thrown into the water,” he recalled.

Questions are being raised about safety lapses and the presence of hazardous structures in the river. Survivors have pointed to a floating iron bridge and remnants of a dismantled pontoon bridge. An official familiar with the matter said some drums remained submerged in the river and that the collision with one of these objects may have caused the boat to lose balance.

Rescue teams, disaster response forces, and local divers—along with army personnel from a nearby unit—were deployed to the site. Officials indicated that 17 people had been rescued so far, with many others still feared trapped or missing. Relatives of the victims described a bright mood earlier that day as families prepared for a religious visit, underscoring the abrupt shift to tragedy.

Authorities have launched a probe into the incident as the search for the missing continues. Families affected are appealing for safety reviews of river transport and better guidance for tourists visiting the Vrindavan and Mathura area, where river operations intersect with pilgrimage routes.

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