A tragic boating accident on the Wainganga River near Karachkheda village in Bhandara tehsil claimed the lives of two young men on Sunday evening, while five others managed to survive by swimming to safety. The bodies were recovered from the river on Monday by the district disaster relief team.
Details of the Incident
The mishap occurred around 6:30 p.m. when a group of seven youths from Bhandara had gone to a small island in the middle of the river to bathe. They used a small private fishing boat, which is typically meant to carry only one or two people. While returning to the riverbank after bathing, the overloaded boat reportedly lost balance in deep waters and capsized, throwing all seven occupants into the river.
Five of the youths—Akash Kevat (27), Subodh Dhok (26), Kashinath Meshram (32), Mrunal Mandukar (20), and Arjun Meshram (29)—managed to swim to safety. However, Pawan Chaubey (34) and Krishna Bokde (26) were unable to reach the shore, likely due to exhaustion and strong currents, though both were said to be good swimmers.
Rescue and Search Operations
Rescue teams from the district administration, police, and disaster management department rushed to the spot upon receiving information. Acting on instructions from the district control room, a search operation was launched and continued late into the night. The bodies of the two victims were recovered on Monday morning.
Official Statements
District disaster management officer Abhishek Namdhas said the youths had gone near the confluence of the Wainganga and Sur rivers, where the island is located. He explained that the small fishing boat, not designed to carry multiple passengers, likely became unstable and overturned. Namdhas also cautioned against ignoring safety warnings, noting that people have been repeatedly advised not to cross rivers during periods of high water levels. He stressed that such small boats are not suitable for carrying more passengers than their capacity.
Investigation Underway
Meanwhile, the district administration and police have begun an investigation to determine the exact cause of the incident and rule out any possibility of foul play.
