Nine children and two women drowned in the river Sind in Datia district on Sunday. Three others are still missing from the boat which was carrying 28 people who were mostly women and young children.
The victims were sailing upstream from a wedding in Datiaֹ’s Khairanaghat to their home in Sileta, Gwalior. Dinesh Sagar, Deputy Inspector-General of Police (Chambal) told this paper that the boat had several holes and was not worthy to sail. “It was overloaded and it appears that it capsized as the occupants attempted to empty water out,” he said.
Although the tragedy struck at 8 p.m. rescue operations with paddle boats couldn't begin until 11.30 p.m. as the police had to requisition them from the Fire Services. Only on Monday morning a Home Guard motor boat arrived.
“We faced the same helplessness when the air force aircraft crashed on the banks of the Chambal last month. Several proposals for boats have been delayed due to various reasons but I think Head Quarters is now going to ensure that boats are present at least in every sub division,” Mr. Sagar told The Hindu .
Five air force personnel died in the air crash and one rescue volunteer from Madhya Pradesh's Sheopur district died while attempting to wade across the river to find survivors due to the absence of a police boat.
