LUCKNOW: The death toll in the Vrindavan boat tragedy rose to 15 on Monday, after two more bodies were recovered on the fourth day of the search. The victims were identified as Monica Tandon and Yash Bhalla, both from Ludhiana.
However, a person named Pankaj Malhotra is still missing as rescue teams continued an intensive search operation.
The boat carrying around 37 persons, all from Ludhiana district in Punjab, had capsized in the midstream of the River Yamuna along Keshi Ghat on April 10.
In the wake of the tragedy, the district police authorities arrested boatman Pappu Nishad and pontoon bridge contractor Narayan Sharma.
Following the incident, the Mathura administration announced stricter safety rules for boating in the river Yamuna. The new rules include a ban on boats operating without life jackets.
It has been made mandatory for the boats to undergo fitness checks every six months. The boatmen have been cautioned strictly against overloading.
Along with a mandatory registration of boat operators, there will be 24x7 monitoring with CCTV and announcements.
Meanwhile, the district administration has intensified the search operation along the Yamuna River with 200 to 250 personnel from the Army, NDRF and SDRF involved in it. The search radius has been expanded from 14 km to 20 km.
On Monday morning, two bodies were recovered—one near Bengali Ghat, about 12 km from the accident site, and the other near Devara Baba Ashram. Officials said the bodies surfaced due to swelling in the river. Both victims were identified by their families.
As per local sources, it was the first Vrindavan visit of 22-year-old Yash Bhalla, one of the victims whose body was recovered on Monday.
He was associated with a Banke Bihari group and used to play dholak during religious gatherings. His father sells clothes on a roadside stall, his mother is a homemaker, and his elder brother works as an accountant.
The other victim Monica Tandon, whose body was also recovered on Monday, was a resident of Dugri in Ludhiana. She was married just six months ago and had travelled to Vrindavan with her mother-in-law, Savita.
Her husband lives abroad, and Monica was preparing to join him soon. She was seated in the boat with her neighbour Dinky, whose body was recovered earlier. Her family had reached Vrindavan after the accident and identified her body.
Sources claimed that Pankaj Malhotra, a resident of Jalalabad in Fazilka, remained missing. He worked in a private steel company and was the sole earning member of his family. He is survived by his wife and two children—an eight-year-old son and a three-year-old daughter. Family members said they would continue to search him with the hope of a safe return.
Meanwhile, Mant SDM Ritu Sirohi went on long leave, and Deepika Mehra took charge as the new SDM. Addressing questions over alleged administrative lapses leading to the tragedy, Mathura District Magistrate CP Singh said Sirohi’s leave was for personal reasons and not linked to the incident.