Three siblings drown after boat capsizes in Hardoi

Lucknow: Three siblings drowned after their boat capsized in Ramganga river in Hardoi late Monday night.

The victims, all from the same extended family, were swept away after the boat was caught in a strong current in the middle of the river. While four other family members were rescued by local villagers who rushed to the scene upon hearing their cries, three others drowned. Their bodies were fished out on Tuesday.

The tragedy unfolded around 11 pm near Katyari village within the Arwal police station limits, when the family was returning after collecting watermelon, muskmelon and cucumbers from their farmland on the opposite bank.

Locals managed to rescue 55-year-old Diwari Lal, his wife Suman (50), daughter Kajal (12) and a relative Nirmal (35). However, Diwari's brother Ramfere's son Shivam (14), daughter Sunaina (8) and niece Sonika (13) drowned.

Divers and emergency teams, including Superintendent of Police Neeraj Kumar Jadon, ASP (West) Martand Prakash Singh, SDM Sanjay Agrahari and CO Shilpa Kumari, arrived at the spot and launched a rescue operation that continued until 2 am. The bodies of the three missing children were recovered nearly 4 kilometres downstream on Tuesday. Recounting the ordeal, Diwari Lal said "The children wanted to come with us to the field, and now...," he trailed off, tears welling up in his eyes. Describing the harrowing experience, he said that while returning home, the boat hit an obstruction and started taking on water before capsizing. "It was pitch dark. I grabbed whoever I could and pulled them to the shore. I tried going back again, but it was too late," he said.

His wife Suman added that while she and others managed to swim ashore, the children were swept away. "We searched frantically and called for help. Villagers joined the search and then called the police," she said.

The village is reeling in shock after the tragedy. Sonika had arrived to visit her maternal grandparents on May 10, just before the devastating incident occurred. The mothers of the deceased children are have fainted multiple times due to the immense shock.

Local officials said Ramfere, who lost two children in the tragedy, had no land of his own and was granted a two bigha plot by the gram panchayat, which was later encroached upon by others. The family used the river route frequently, as crossing by boat took only 10 minutes, compared to a 10km detour via a bridge.

SDM Sanjay Agrahari said: "The tragedy has brought attention to the pressing issue of safe transportation for families who regularly cross the river. Many families in the area rely on makeshift boats to travel to their farmland, often putting their lives at risk."