One drowns, three missing as boat capsizes in Sarayu river in UP

One person drowned and three others went missing after a boat carrying over 20 people capsized in the Sarayu river here on Tuesday, police said.

The incident took place near Aili Parsoli in the morning when around 24 people in the boat were on their way to Dhohadan Purva in Gonda from Kaifighat in Ayodhya, they said.

The boat lost balance and overturned after hitting a pontoon bridge, police said.

While some persons swam to safety, others were rescued by the locals, they said.

One person drowned and three others went missing, they added.

Body of Sandip Gupta (40), a school teacher, has been fished out and hunt was on to trace the three others, police said.

Senior officials, including the district magistrate and the superintendent of police, were at the incident site and monitoring the relief and rescue operation.

SP Raj Karan Nayar said one body has been recovered and divers are looking for missing three others.

A government spokesman in Lucknow said Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has taken note of the incident and directed the DM and the SP to visit the spot and take help of the National Disaster Response Force and the State Disaster Response Force to trace the missing persons.

He had directed the officials to provide all possible help to the victims, the spokesman added.