Nine drown as boat sinks in Jhansi river

Nine persons including five minors were drowned after the boat ferrying them was capsized in the river Betwa in Poonch police station area of Jhansi district bordering Madhya Pradesh on Saturday.

Three others who knew swimming swam to the river bank safely. The Jhansi SP (Rural),Pramod Kumar Tiwari,said the incident took place when Anwaar of Poonch area accompanied by his cousins — Rukhsar (18),Khushbu (15),Karishma (16),and Sonam (12) — his daughter Alishia (3),sister-in-law Rani (26),her daughter Chahat (5),Sonam’s cousins Rehan (4) and Fakhruddin (3) and two others were going to visit a religious place across the river Betwa in a small boat. Anwaar was ferrying the boat.

While on their way,one of the children suddenly bent on the corner of the boat leading to a chaos among the passengers following which the boat overturned. While Anwaar and two others swam across the river,nine others including the girls and the children were drowned to death,Tiwari added. He said the bodies of the victims were fished out by the divers. He added that Rukhsar,Khushbu,Sonam and Rani belonged to Datia district of Madhya Pradesh and they all had come for a visit.