Festive celebrations turned into a devastating tragedy in the city of Kota in Rajasthan late Tuesday night when a boat capsized during the immersion of a Durga idol in Kotri pond. The vessel lost its balance in deep water, plunging all occupants into the pond and sparking widespread panic across the area. Rescue teams were immediately deployed to the site to launch an intensive search operation aimed at tracing the individuals who went missing beneath the surface.
Unauthorised Location and an Unsafe Wooden Boat
Preliminary findings from local authorities indicate that the group had gathered near Canal Road to perform the immersion rituals. Crucially, this specific stretch of Kotri pond had neither been authorized nor designated by the local administration for immersion activities. Despite the lack of official arrangements, seven individuals boarded a small, fragile wooden boat and ventured away from the shore into deeper waters. The vessel suddenly lost its equilibrium and overturned completely. Three members of the group managed to swim to safety because they possessed swimming skills. The remaining four passengers could not swim, resulting in them being pulled under by the currents where they remain missing.
Overnight Search and Rescue Operations Launched Immediately
Following the distress call, emergency response teams equipped with divers and high-intensity searchlights arrived at the scene to carry out aquatic searches through the night. Senior district officials, including the Kota District Collector and Superintendent of Police Tejaswani Gautam, remained stationed at the water's edge until late hours to supervise operations. Strict cordons were placed around the vicinity while rescue teams conducted deep searches across several sections of the pond to recover the missing individuals.
Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla Reviews Situation on the Ground
Taking immediate note of the mishap, Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla arrived directly at Kotri pond during the night hours to oversee the ongoing relief efforts in person. He assessed the operational readiness of the rescue personnel and directed the administration to spare no effort in the search mission. Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla also spent time interacting with the grieving families at the site, offering his heartfelt condolences and ensuring that full administrative resources and assistance would be made available to them throughout this crisis.
