16 drown as boat capsizes in Ganga

Varanasi, July. 30 :
Sixteen people, mostly women and children, were today drowned when a boat carrying pilgrims capsized in the river Ganga near Garhwa ghat under lanka police circle area, a police offical said.

The mishap took place as the boat carrying about 25 pilgrims capsized due to overcrowding, Lanka police station in-charge Ajay Singh told .

While nine persons, including the boat owner, swam to safety, 16 people, mostly women and children, were drowned in the river water, he said.

Eight bodies, comprising five women and three children, have been recovered from the river while efforts were on to recover the remaining bodies, Singh said.

The boat owner Sita Ram has been taken into custody and a case registered against him for ferrying two dozen people beyond its capacity of eight, he said.

The pilgrims, hailing from Chhota Khurani village of adjoining Mirzapur district, were on way to Garhwa Ghat to participate in the festivities of Gurupurnima