20 feared killed in boat tragedy in Yamuna

Ballabgarh, Faridabad, Aug 6 (UNI) At least 20 people, were feared drowned when their boat capsized in Yamuna river at Chayansa village in Faridabad district this morning, police said.

The bodies of six people, including a five-year-old girl, were recovered from the river. Four of them were identified as Manju, five year old Maya, Roop Chand and Guddi,all residents of Chayansa.

Police said 34 people were travelling in the ill fated boat. While eight to ten persons managed to swim to safety or were pulled out by villagers, the rest are feared to have drowned.

Offical sources at Chandigarh said the boat was meant to accommodate 16 persons. Overloading was described as the cause of the tragedy.

The state government has announced a grant of Rs two lakh to the families of the deceased.

On hearing of the tragedy, a large crowd gathered on the banks of the Yamuna river and became restive when professional divers did not reach the site. Two police vehicles, a fire brigade vehicle and a motor cycle was set on fire by the mob. The local officials had given an assurance to the villagers that divers had been summoned by the government.

It was late in the afternoon that divers of the Haryana police and Haryana Urban Development Authority (HUDA) reached the spot and immediately swung into action to retrieve the bodies from the bottom of the river. The divers are using fishing nets to fish out the bodies but so far they had not been successful in their task.

Local MLA Mrs Sharda Rathore, who reached the site in the morning, beat a hasty retreat when she saw the hostile crowd.

Faridabad SSP M S Sheoran reached the spot immediately after hearing about the incident.

Police said the victims were labourers who used to go on boats daily to work in the fields on the other side of the river.

UNI XC-HS VA RK1905