This story is from March 12, 2020

7 of a family, including 4 kids, drown in Tapi boat capsize

7 of a family, including 4 kids, drown in Tapi boat capsize
Divers fished out body of a deceased on Wednesday
Surat: Seven people of a family, including four children, died after the boat in which they had gone for picnic capsized in the Tapi River on Dhuleti.
The tragic mishap took place in the upstream of Ukai reservoir at Bhitkhurd village, bordering Nandurbar district, in Tapi district’s Uchchhal taluka on Tuesday.
About 13 people, of whom 10 comprised youngsters and children from a family in Konkani Falia in Sundarpur village in Tapi district’s Uchhal taluka, had gone for picnic at Bhitkhurd village on Tuesday.
Sometime in the afternoon, the picnickers decided to hire a boat to visit the small island located in the middle of the river.
Sources said that Bhitkhurd village, which borders the Tapi and Nandurbar district in Maharashtra, is a picnic hotspot for locals in Uchchhal taluka during weekends and festival holidays. A few locals from the village also provide visitors boat rides in Tapi River.
While returning from the island at about 2.30pm, sudden change in atmosphere coupled with strong winds toppled the boat which overturned and capsized in the deep waters. About six people managed to save themselves by swimming back to the island, while the others drowned in the gushing waters.
After the incident, scores of people from Bhitkhurd and adjoining villages gathered at the riverbed helping the fire brigade teams from Vyara, Surat and Songadh who sent their divers for search and rescue operation of the victims who had gone missing in the river.

Among the six people who swam to safety, three belong to Bhitkhurd village including the driver of the boat identified as Jignesh Valvi, 30, Amit Gamit, 28 and Vikas Gamit.
Sources said that two bodies — Angel Konkani, 5, and Sanjana Konkani, 14 — were recovered by the rescue teams the same night after search operations continued till late. The remaining five bodies could be recovered the next morning from the river. The other deceased have been identified as Abhishek Konanki, 11, Aradhya Konkani, 7, Urmila Konaki, 21, Vinod Konkani, 18, and Rajesh Konkani, 32 —all residents of Konkani Falia.
Superintendent of police, Tapi district, NN Chaudhary said, “All the deceased are relatives and had come to enjoy Dhuleti holiday at Bhitkhurd village. The boat got overturned due to bad weather and strong winds.”
Chaudhary added that all the seven bodies have been recovered by Wednesday morning and were handed over to the kin after post mortem at the Uchchhal community health centre (CHC).
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