Vrindavan Boat Tragedy: Death toll rises to 11, 5 Missing; Rescue Continues Day 2

April 11, 2026

In a boat accident in Vrindavan, Mathura, 10 people have died. So far, 22 people have been rescued. Currently, 5 people are missing. On Saturday, the rescue operation continued for the second day. A team of 250 people, including the army, is engaged in the rescue operation. Missing people are being searched for within a 14 km radius.

वृंदावन नाव हादसे का Live Video –

पंजाब से आए 37 टूरिस्ट मछली की तरह यमुना नदी में बह रहे हैं। गनीमत ये रही कि वहां मौजूद 2 नाव तुरंत ही रेस्क्यू करने पहुंच गईं। जिसके बाद आधे से ज्यादा लोग सुरक्षित बचा लिए गए। इस हादसे में 10 लोगों की मौत हुई है, 5 लापता हैं। https://t.co/xiN3WRapa7 pic.twitter.com/B6FYDtcH7y

— Sachin Gupta (@Sachingupta) April 10, 2026

Why have the missing people not been found yet? On this question, an officer involved in the rescue operation said that the current of the Yamuna River is strong, so people can be carried far away. In addition, bodies may have been buried in the silt (mud) and sand inside the river. After 24 hours, the bodies may float up after swelling.

Victims of Vrindavan Boat Tragedy 

The accident occurred on Friday at 3 PM at KC Ghat, where a boat carrying 37 devotees capsized. The ghat is about 2 km away from Banke Bihari Temple. Among the deceased are seven people from the same family, including mother and son, uncle and aunt, and aunt and uncle.

The place where the accident occurred has water 25 feet deep. Initial investigation revealed that the boat had a capacity of 40 devotees. The boatman did not give life jackets to any of the devotees. People repairing the pontoon bridge and other boatmen rescued some people. Later, administration teams arrived at the spot and started the rescue.

The police took the accused sailor Pappu Nishad into custody six hours after the accident, that is, at 9 PM. The boat was his own. He had taken the devotees from Jugal Ghat. He had fled after the accident.

Two videos related to the accident have surfaced. The first is from 15 minutes before the boat sank, showing people chanting ‘Radhe-Radhe.’ The second shows the devotees drowning in the river.

How did the accident happen?
The young man who survived the accident said that the boat was about 50 feet away from the shore in the middle of the Yamuna River. At that time, the wind was blowing at a speed of about 40 km per hour. Due to the strong wind, the boat suddenly started rocking. The boatman’s control slipped.

The tourists told the boatman that a bridge was coming and to stop the boat, but he did not listen. The boat avoided collision twice, but on the third time it collided and sank.

Look at the rescue pictures-

All devotees arrived in Vrindavan on Friday morning.

On Thursday (April 9), 130 devotees were taken in 2 buses by the Shri Banke Bihari Club located in Jagraon, Ludhiana. Out of these, 90 devotees were from Jagraon and the rest from other cities. This was a 4-day trip to Vrindavan.

The deceased include Madhur Bahal, his mother Kavita Bahal, uncle Charanjit, aunt Pinky Bahal, aunt Asha Rani, another Aunt Anju Gulati, and uncle-in-law Rakesh Gulati.