Mathura Boat Capsize: 10 Dead, 22 Injured in Yamuna Accident; PM Modi Announces ₹2 Lakh Ex-Gratia
Mathura: A tragic boat accident in the Yamuna river at Vrindavan, Uttar Pradesh, claimed the lives of 10 tourists on Friday afternoon, with 22 others injured and five still missing, officials confirmed. The victims were part of a pilgrimage group mainly from Punjab.
The incident took place near Kesi Ghat when the vessel, carrying more than two dozen passengers, entered deeper waters and struck a floating pontoon. Authorities explained that a pontoon bridge in the area had been recently dismantled because of rising river levels, leaving behind pontoon drums that the boat apparently hit. Locals told the media that strong gusty winds caused the boat to sway violently, gain speed and overturn after colliding with the structure.
District Magistrate Chandra Prakash Singh initially reported six deaths, with rescuers later recovering four more bodies. The deceased, all from Punjab, have been identified as Kavita Rani (49), Charanjit (40), Sapna Hans (55), Rikesh Gulati, Madhur Behl, Asha Rani, Pinki Behl, Anju Gulati, Ishan Kataria and Minu Bansal. The five missing persons are Manik Tandon, Pankaj Malhotra, Rishab Sharma, Yash Bhalla and Monika.
VIDEO | Mathura: On the boat accident near Kesi Ghat in Vrindavan, DM Chandra Prakash Singh says, “This is a very unfortunate incident. Two boats carrying a group of people had come and were taking a tour of Vrindavan along the river near Kesi Ghat when the accident occurred. One… pic.twitter.com/KMaE3jZRge
— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) April 10, 2026
Sixteen to 17 people were rescued safely, and search operations continue. Among the 22 injured, several including Pinki, Manju, Savita, Tanish Jain, Rekha, Rajinder Kaur, Saroj and Dolly are receiving treatment at Vrindavan Joint Hospital, where officials noted six male and four female fatalities overall.
The tourists belonged to a larger group of around 150 pilgrims from Ludhiana and Muktsar in Punjab who had travelled to Vrindavan for darshan. Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann later clarified that the capsized boat was carrying 32 people from Jagraon.
PM announces ₹2 lakh ex-gratia
Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed deep sorrow over the loss of lives and announced an ex-gratia payment of ₹2 lakh each from the Prime Minister’s National Relief Fund (PMNRF) to the next of kin of the deceased. He also sanctioned ₹50,000 each for the injured. Modi conveyed condolences to the bereaved families and prayed for the speedy recovery of those hurt, adding that the local administration is providing all possible assistance.
The Prime Minister has announced that an ex-gratia of Rs. 2 lakh from PMNRF would be given to the next of kin of each deceased. The injured would be given Rs. 50,000. https://t.co/Vs25tsmisK
— PMO India (@PMOIndia) April 10, 2026
CM Yogi Expressed His Condolences
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath expressed grief and directed officials to speed up rescue and relief work while ensuring prompt medical care for the injured. Senior state officials, including the district magistrate and police, are overseeing operations on the ground. Further he shared a post on X.
जनपद मथुरा में नाव पलटने से हुई दुर्घटना में जनहानि अत्यंत दुःखद एवं हृदय विदारक है।
— Yogi Adityanath (@myogiadityanath) April 10, 2026
मेरी संवेदनाएं शोक संतप्त परिवारों के साथ हैं।
संबंधित अधिकारियों को तत्काल मौके पर पहुंचकर बचाव व राहत कार्य संचालित करने और घायलों का समुचित उपचार कराने के निर्देश दिए हैं।
प्रभु श्री राम…
Rescue efforts involve police, State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), fire services, civil defence, the Army and local divers, with National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) teams expected to join soon. The Ludhiana administration has established control rooms and dispatched special teams to Vrindavan to support the affected families.
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