India
Four Youths’ Bodies Recovered 18 Hours After Boat Capsizes During Durga Idol Immersion in Kota
The bodies of four youths were recovered from Kota’s Kotri canal about 18 hours after their boat capsized during a Durga idol immersion on Tuesday evening. The incident occurred near the Steel Bridge at around 5.30 pm, when the boat overturned and swept away seven people. Three survivors—an unidentified woman, Deepak, and boatman Suresh—managed to swim to safety. The missing youths were identified as Vikas Verma alias Suman (22), cousins Eshu (19) and Rahul (18) Joshi, and Suraj Singh (22). Additional district magistrate Vikas Malhotra confirmed that all four bodies had been recovered. Search teams from the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), assisted by civil defence personnel and local divers, conducted an extensive search until about 11.30 pm on Tuesday. The operation was halted due to darkness, and no trace of the missing youths was found. The search resumed at 5.30 am on Wednesday. During the initial search, the bodies of Vikas and Suraj were located roughly 100 metres downstream from the accident site. The teams continued searching different stretches of the canal and subsequently recovered the bodies of Eshu and Rahul a few hours later. Police moved the bodies to Maharao Bhim Singh (MBS) Hospital in Kota for post‑mortem examinations. The bodies will be handed over to the families after the procedures are completed in their presence. Water had been released into the canal on Tuesday, the day of the accident.
Frequently asked questions
How many people were swept away when the boat capsized?
Seven people were swept away.
Who were the survivors of the incident?
An unidentified woman, Deepak, and boatman Suresh.
Where were the bodies of the missing youths recovered?
Bodies were recovered from Kota’s Kotri canal, roughly 100 metres downstream from the accident site.