Boat Carrying 35 Pilgrims Overturns In Maharashtra's Beed, Two Dead

A boat carrying 35 pilgrims overturned in a river in Purushottampuri in Maharashtra's Beed district on Wednesday. Two people died in the accident.

Witnesses said the boat operators packed more passengers than the vessel's capacity, leading it to lose balance and topple over.

The boat was reportedly caught in a strong current and sank within seconds.

"The boat operator had packed the boat with passengers many times more than its actual capacity, like cattle. As the overloaded boat reached the deep waters in the middle of the Godavari, the weight and unevenness of the boat caused it to lose balance. This resulted in men, women and children falling into the deep waters," said the witness.

Two women named Pramila Rathod and Sindhubai Mawal died.

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District Collector Vivek Johnson has ordered a Sub-Divisional Officer (SDO)-level probe into the accident. He has asked the probe team to submit a detailed report soon.

He said the probe will determine how the boat exceeded its capacity and where safety standards were ignored. Anyone found responsible or guilty for this negligence will face the strictest legal action, he added.

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The devotees had gathered at Purushottampuri for a religious event.

Johnson stated that security arrangements had been made for the congregation, but couldn't prevent the accident.