Boat capsizes in Bhandara district, 31 women drown

In a catastrophic incident on Saturday evening near Bhandara, at least 31 women were feared drowned while four others and two boatmen reached the banks safely as the two wooden boats they were ferrying in capsized midstream in the Wainganga River. The incident took place at about 5.30 pm. The rescue operation launched by the Bhandara police is still underway and the police have fished out dead bodies of at least 16 women from the old Kardha bridge area. The boatmen decamped from the spot after the incident and are still untraceable.

Rescue operations were hampered as it was pitch dark and the river's flow was very fast. Frustrated with the delay in rescue operations, waiting crowds gheraoed the tehsildar and manhandled him. There were reports of stone throwing as well in which a police vehicle was damaged.

According to reports about 35 women farm labourers were returning back to their village Surewada and Khamari (Buti) situated on the eastern bank of the Wainganga River after completing the work in paddy fields at village Takali, about two km from Bhandara. The village is on the western bank of the river. After completing the day's work, the women boarded two separate wooden boats from Takli bank and the boatmen took their boats through the River despite heavy rain and turbulent waters.

Sudden strikes of lightning in nearby area panicked the passengers aboard and the boats began trembling midstream. As the boats were travelling in chain formation - like vehicles being toed - both the boats capsized simultaneously. Two boatmen and four women swam all the way through the heavy gush of river water and reached the banks. The police have confirmed the toll of 31 women and 16 bodies have been recovered so far.