Tragedy hit Lakhimpur Kheri when 25 people were feared to have been washed away after two boats capsized at different intervals in the river Ghaghara on Wednesday morning.

The local administration reached the spot soon after getting information and started a rescue operation. They also managed to rescue three of the victims safely.

The teams of National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and flood team of Provincial Armed Constabulary (PAC) were on the spot and carrying out search operations.

Taking cognisance of the accident of people drowning in the river Ghaghara in Lakhimpur Kheri district, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath directed the district administration officials to immediately rush to the spot and carry out rescue and relief work on war footing. The chief minister said that with the help of the disaster management teams, rescue and relief work should be done expeditiously. He directed the officials to provide all possible help to the victims of the accident.

Lakhimpur Kheri district magistrate and district police chief also reached the spot.

SDM Dhaurahra, Renu, Police Station incharge Raj Karan Sharma, Tehsildar Santosh Kumar Shukla were present with the rescue team on the spot. SDM Renu said that nothing was being confirmed yet, based on the information, relief efforts were on.

There were 10 people in one boat and 18 people in the other boat, out of them three people have been rescued and saved.

Reports said that the local villagers went on boats to collect wood which came floating after trees on the banks of the river fell due to floods and heavy rains. On Wednesday, they were collecting wood in the river Ghaghara when the mishap took place in Mirzapur village in Isanagar police station area of Dhaurahra tehsil.

Sunder and Ashok Kumar, both sons of Gaya Prasad, Sunder’s son Trimohan,  Dhode, Deepu and Surendra Kumar, all sons of Nankau, Kripa Dayal, Murari, and Raju were said to be in one of the boats and were reported missing.