Daijiworld Media Network - Bhopal
Bhopal, Mar 18: Seven people, including three women and four children, went missing after a boat carrying devotees overturned in the Mata Tila Dam in Madhya Pradesh’s Shivpuri district on Tuesday evening, police said.
The accident occurred in the Khaniyadhana police station area, around 110 km from the district headquarters. While the dam is located on the Betwa River in Uttar Pradesh, it shares a border with Madhya Pradesh.
Rescue operations were launched immediately, and eight people have been safely evacuated so far.
The victims, all from Rajavan village, were traveling by boat to the Siddha Baba temple, located on an island in the dam, when the vessel lost balance and capsized. Local villagers quickly responded, saving several passengers, but three women and four children remain unaccounted for.
"A boat carrying 15 people, including women and children, capsized while en route to an island for Holi celebrations. Seven people, including three women and four children, drowned, while eight others swam to safety," confirmed Shivdayal Dhakad, Sub-Divisional Magistrate of Pichhore.
Efforts to locate the missing individuals continue, with two boats and divers searching the waters. However, as night falls, the operation is becoming increasingly difficult, said Prashant Sharma, Sub-Divisional Officer of Police (SDOP), Pichhore.
The missing individuals have been identified as Sharda (55), Kumkum (15), Leela (40), China (14), Kanha (7), Ramdevi (35), and Shiva (8), all from Rajavan village.
District Collector Ravindra Chaudhary and Superintendent of Police Aman Singh Rathore rushed to the scene to oversee the rescue efforts, with the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) also assisting.
Among those rescued were Shivraj Lodhi, Savitri Lodhi, Jhanson, Gulab, Leela, Ramdevi, Usha, and Pradeep Lodhi.
Search operations continue as authorities work against time to locate the missing.