Uttar Pradesh: At least 10 tourists dead as boat capsizes in Yamuna river

A local diver, identified as Gulab, said about 15 people have been pulled out so far, officials said.

Lucknow: As many as 10 tourists drowned when a boat capsized in the Yamuna river in Mathura's Vrindavan in Uttar Pradesh on Friday.

The death toll could increase as search operation for at least five more missing people continued, sources said, adding that senior officials were present at the spot to monitor the rescue operations.

Police said that the mishap happened around noon, when a boat carrying about 25-30 tourists, mostly from Punjab, lost balance amid gusty winds and capsized midstream.

Around 12 people were rescued by the divers.

According to eye witness accounts, the boat had a capacity to accommodate only 15 people but it had more than 25 people.

None of the tourists had worn life jackets, reports said.

A senior police official said from Vrindavan that the rescued tourists were admitted to the community health centre.

The officials have appealed to the people not to pay attention to rumors. Security personnel in strength were deployed on the spot as a preventive measure.

Sources said that a group of around 150, including many from Punjab, had arrived on a visit to Vrindavan, a religious town near Mathura.

Chief minister Yogi Adityanath expressed grief over the tragedy and directed the officials to provide all possible facilities to the affected families.