Four Children Missing After Boat Capsizes During Durga Idol Immersion in Kota; Three Rescued
Kota, October 20: A major accident occurred during Durga idol immersion in Kota on Tuesday evening when a boat carrying seven children capsized in the Right Main Canal of the Chambal River. Four children went missing in the water, while three were rescued by local residents.
The incident took place near the Steel Bridge on 80 Feet Road, under the jurisdiction of the Borkhera police station. According to preliminary information, the children were residents of Sanjay Nagar, which falls under the Vigyan Nagar police station area. They had gone to the canal to immerse a Durga idol when the boat overturned.Rescue Operation Underway
As soon as the incident was reported, teams from the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), the Municipal Corporation and Civil Defence reached the spot and launched a search operation to locate the missing children.
District Collector Piyush Samariya and Kota City Superintendent of Police Tejaswini Gautam also reached the site to monitor the rescue efforts. State Education and Panchayati Raj Minister Madan Dilawar visited the spot and directed officials to expedite the operation.
Boat Overturned in the Middle of the Canal
According to SP Tejaswini Gautam, the boat capsized while the children were preparing to immerse the idol in the middle of the canal. Preliminary information suggests that the boat lost its balance, causing all seven occupants to fall into the water. Three children managed to get out, while four went missing.
District Collector Piyush Samariya said that a locally operated boat, reportedly operated by fishermen, was being used for the immersion. Rescue teams were making continuous efforts to locate the missing children.
Four Children Identified as Missing
The missing children were identified as Keshu, Golu, Suresh and Rahul. Three children, including Mala Kanwar and Deepak, were rescued, along with another child.
The incident left family members distraught as they anxiously awaited news of their children.
Safety Arrangements Under Question
The accident has raised serious questions about safety arrangements at the immersion site. According to the report, water was released into the Right Main Canal just two days earlier, with a discharge of approximately 2,000 cusecs.
SP Tejaswini Gautam said that idol immersion should take place only at designated sites where proper safety arrangements, divers and SDRF personnel are available. She expressed concern that people sometimes choose unauthorised locations to avoid travelling to designated immersion sites.
Rescue teams continued their search for the four missing children as officials worked to locate them.
