There was also a tragic accident experienced at KC Ghat in Mathura where a tourist boat with about thirty passengers capsized resulting in the fear of many drownings. The boat that was said to be transporting people of Ludhiana and other regions of Punjab, capsized in some vague conditions, thus causing panic among the occupants.
Immediately rescue operations were initiated and local authorities and emergency teams went on the spot and searched the area in search of survivors. To date, the bodies of six of the tourists have been retrieved and searches are being made to find the rest of the tourists who are feared to have disappeared. Witnesses said it was a chaotic sight as passengers floundered in the water with some of them able to swim to survive and others drowned.
The event has raised doubts on the fame pilgrimage town Vrindavan, which receives thousands of visitors every day. There is an initial report that overcrowding or imbalance may have played a role in the accident but the authorities are yet to confirm the cause.
The police have initiated an inquiry into the accident, and doubts about safety and compliance with boating rules at the ghat are being raised. The authorities of the local administration have promised that it will take stringent measures in case laxity is detected.
In the meantime, families of the victims are being contacted in Punjab, and plans are being made to offer help. The tragedy has also again shown the necessity to establish better safety measures at the tourist and religious locations that have a lot of visitors.