Boat with 6 on board capsizes, all safe

Six people were rescued after they fell off a boat in the Ganga near Maan Mandir Ghat here. The boat, with the six on board, capsized after another boat with 58 people hit it on Friday, police said.

All six were rescued by NDRF rescuers, water police personnel and the boatman, said a senior police officer and added all passengers were wearing life-saving jackets. They were brought to the banks of Ganga.

Additional commissioner of police (law and order) S Channappa said, “We received information that a boat capsized in Ganga. Immediately, NDRF and water police teams reached the spot and rescued all six people and sent two of them to the hospital for first aid.”

According to the officials, many of the people on the boats are from Odisha.

Union education minister Dharmendra Pradhan, who is an MP from Odisha, spoke to divisional commissioner Kaushal Raj Sharma and inquired about the well-being of pilgrims rescued after the incident.

Pradhan wrote on X: “…enquired about the well-being of the people from Odisha and also spoke to the people who were rescued. The promptness shown by the NDRF and the Uttar Pradesh Government are commendable.”

No boat op post sunset

After the Friday’s boat capsize incident, the local administration has banned all boat operations on the river after sunset. Police commissioner Mohit Agarwal has issued strict instructions to this effect.

Assistant commissioner of police (Bhelupur) Dr Ishan Soni, and other police officials took stock of the security arrangements from Assi Ghat to Mansarovar Ghat.

Also, police officials instructed boatmen to not allow any devotee to board the boat without wearing a life jacket. Strict action would be ensured against those who violate the order, they added.

The deployment of police force on the ghats has been stepped up.