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A 60-year-old woman drowned, 13 were injured and eight people went missing on Wednesday after a boat capsized in the Kaudiyala river near Bharathapur village in a densely forested area of Bahraich district in Uttar Pradesh, officials said. According to the police, the incident occurred around 6 pm when 22 people from Khairatiya village of neighbouring Lakhimpur district were travelling by boat to Bharathapur. An official statement issued in Lucknow mentioned that out of 22 people, 13 were saved while one Ramajiya (60) drowned and her body was later recovered. Locals said the boat overturned in the river because the flow of the water was strong. Eight people are still missing and attempts are on to trace them, the statement added. Among the eight missing are boatman Mihilal Yadav (38), Shivnandan Maurya (50), Suman (28), Sohni (5), Shivam (9), and a five-year-old daughter of Shanti. Victim Ramjaiya’s two grandsons aged 7 years and 10 years are also missing, it said. Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has taken cognisance of the incident and directed police and civic officials to reach the site immediately, along with NDRF and SDRF teams, to ensure prompt rescue and relief operations. Bharathapur village, located deep inside the Katarniaghat Wildlife Sanctuary, is surrounded on three sides by the river and has no road connectivity, leaving locals at the mercy of boats for travel. The area is considered difficult to access, and forest officials said wild elephants are often seen in the region. Officials said the incident occurred deep inside a forest, far from the district headquarters, making communication difficult. Officials at the state headquarters said NDRF and SDRF teams have been rushed to the site, and senior officers at the police headquarters are in constant touch with the local administration to monitor the rescue efforts. Administrative sources said rescue and relief operations are underway. (With inputs from PTI)
