Four Dead as Boat Capsizes During Durga Idol Immersion in Rajasthan’s Kota

A festive Durga idol immersion ceremony turned into a tragedy in Rajasthan’s Kota after a boat carrying seven people capsized in a canal, leaving four young men dead. The bodies of all four victims have been recovered following an extensive search operation, while three others, including a woman and the boatman, survived.

The accident occurred around 5.30 pm on Tuesday near Steel Bridge, within the limits of the Borekheda police station, as the group was carrying out the immersion ritual.

The deceased were identified as Suraj Singh (22), Vikas Verma (22), Rahul Joshi (18) and Ashu Joshi (19). Rahul and Ashu were cousins and residents of Sanjay Nagar in Kota.

Suraj Singh and Vikas Verma were found during the search operation that resumed at 5.30 am on Wednesday. Rescue teams subsequently recovered the bodies of the two missing cousins, bringing the death toll to four.

Three people aboard the boat, a man named Deepak, a woman identified as Maankanwar and the boatman, Suresh, managed to escape by swimming to safety. Passersby helped rescue them.

Personnel from the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) and the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) were involved in the search operation. The effort continued into Wednesday as rescuers combed the canal waters for the missing youths. The recovered bodies were sent for post-mortem examination.

Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla and Rajasthan Education Minister Madan Dilawar visited the accident site on Tuesday night and reviewed the rescue efforts.

The tragedy has raised serious questions about safety arrangements for religious immersion ceremonies. Officials said 10–12 locations along the Chambal ghats and canals had been designated for idol immersion, with rescue teams deployed and safety measures put in place. However, the accident occurred at a location where idol immersion was prohibited.