Kota Boat Tragedy: Bodies of Four Missing Youths Recovered After 18-Hour Search in Kotri Canal

October 21, 2026

Kota, Rajasthan: The bodies of four youths who went missing after a boat capsized in Rajasthan’s Kota district were recovered on Wednesday morning. The boat overturned in the Kotri canal on Tuesday evening during the immersion of Durga idols.

The accident took place around 5.30 pm. Seven people were swept into the water, but three, including a woman and the boatman, managed to reach safety. The other four youths remained missing through the night.

Search Operation Resumes on Wednesday Morning

Rescue teams from the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) searched the canal until around 10.30 pm on Tuesday. The operation was stopped because it had become too dark and resumed at 5.30 am on Wednesday.

Six rescue boats were deployed, with three each from the NDRF and SDRF. Local fishermen also joined the search as teams looked along the canal towards Umaidganj.

The bodies were eventually found around 100 metres downstream from where the boat capsized. Vikas Verma, also known as Suman, 22, and Suraj Singh, 22, were found first. The bodies of Ashu Joshi, 19, and Rahul Joshi, 18, were recovered a few hours later. The two were cousins.

Officials Visit Accident Site

The bodies were taken to MBS Hospital for post-mortem examinations.

Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla and Rajasthan Education Minister Madan Dilawar visited the site after the accident. The Kota District Collector, City Superintendent of Police and other senior officials were also present during the rescue operation.

Reports said water had been released into the Kotri canal on the day of the accident. The circumstances that led to the boat capsizing are being examined.

Reports also indicated that the boatman left the scene after the incident.

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