Four young men are missing and feared drowned in Kota, Rajasthan, after a small boat carrying seven people overturned in the Kotri canal during a Durga idol immersion on Tuesday evening. Three of those on board managed to swim to safety, while a large search operation involving the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), divers and civil defence teams continued into the night near the Steel Bridge, where officials say idol immersion was never permitted.
The incident has put the spotlight back on immersion safety, with education minister Madan Dilawar rushing to the site and ordering every available team into the search.
What happened in the Kota boat capsize
According to the Free Press Journal, four youths are feared drowned after a boat carrying seven people overturned in Kota on Tuesday evening. The incident occurred in the Kotri canal near the Steel Bridge under the Udhyog Nagar police station limits during a Durga idol immersion ceremony.
Police said three occupants who knew how to swim managed to get out, while four others remain missing. ANI reported that emergency response teams — including professional divers — had been deployed to scour the waterway.
Education minister Madan Dilawar suspended his panchayat election campaign and rushed to the spot, directing the district administration to begin a search operation. District collector Piyush Samariya and city superintendent of police Tejaswani Gautam also reached the site.
Rescue operation at the Kotri canal
Gautam said rescue teams were working round the clock to trace the missing persons. "We received information that some people had arrived at Canal Road for the immersion of Durga idols when their boat — carrying 7 individuals — capsized. Three of them knew how to swim and managed to get out, but the other four did not... Our teams are making continuous efforts to locate them. We have obtained the names of some of the individuals who were on the boat," she said.
Dilawar said all available resources, machinery and teams, including the SDRF, were working on the ground with prayers for the safe recovery of the missing youths. At least 15–17 SDRF personnel, municipal corporation divers, civil defence teams and local administration staff were deployed, and authorities temporarily stopped the water flow in the canal to assist the rescue work.
"A rescue operation is currently in progress; our top priority is to ensure the safe recovery of the four missing persons," Gautam told reporters.
Why the immersion spot was restricted
Dilawar said the seven had taken a small wooden and unsafe boat that capsized mid-canal, violating prohibitory orders; the site was a restricted area where immersion was not permitted.
Kota Municipal Corporation deputy commissioner Rakesh Vyas said rescue teams were dispatched as soon as the incident came to light, noting it happened at an unauthorised location rather than a designated immersion spot.
Following the incident, the district administration reiterated safety protocols. "The administration has designated specific sites for immersion, where boats, divers, and rescue teams are stationed. It is not feasible to provide such arrangements at every point along the entire canal. The administration urges everyone to conduct immersions only at these designated locations," Gautam said.
Key takeaways
- Seven people boarded a small wooden boat for a Durga idol immersion in Kota's Kotri canal on Tuesday evening; the boat overturned mid-canal.
- Three occupants who knew how to swim reached safety; four youths remain missing and are feared drowned.
- At least 15–17 SDRF personnel, municipal divers, civil defence teams and local administration staff are searching the canal; water flow has been temporarily stopped.
- Officials say the immersion took place in a restricted, unauthorised area where prohibitory orders were in force.
- Education minister Madan Dilawar suspended his panchayat election campaign and rushed to the site; collector Piyush Samariya and SP Tejaswani Gautam are overseeing the operation.
FAQs
What happened in the Kota boat accident?
A boat carrying seven people overturned in the Kotri canal near the Steel Bridge in Kota on Tuesday evening during a Durga idol immersion ceremony. Three occupants swam to safety, while four youths remain missing and are feared drowned, according to police and the Free Press Journal.
Where exactly did the boat capsize?
The boat capsized in the Kotri canal near the Steel Bridge, under the Udhyog Nagar police station limits in Kota, Rajasthan. Officials said the spot was a restricted area where idol immersion was not permitted and prohibitory orders were in force.
How many people were on the boat?
Seven people were on the small wooden boat, according to education minister Madan Dilawar. Three of them knew how to swim and managed to get out after the capsize; the other four went missing in the canal, and their search is still underway.
Who is leading the rescue operation?
District collector Piyush Samariya and city superintendent of police Tejaswani Gautam reached the site to oversee the search. At least 15–17 SDRF personnel, municipal corporation divers, civil defence teams and local administration staff have been deployed, and the canal's water flow was temporarily stopped.
Why was the immersion site restricted?
Officials said the administration had designated specific immersion sites equipped with boats, divers and rescue teams. The Kotri canal stretch near the Steel Bridge was not one of them; immersion there was prohibited, which is why no municipal teams were initially stationed at the spot.
Have the four missing youths been found?
As of the latest reports on Tuesday night, the four youths remained missing and a round-the-clock search was underway. Officials said teams had obtained the names of some of the individuals who were on the boat, but no rescues of the missing four had been confirmed.
Why it matters
It's a pattern India sees too often around immersion ceremonies: devotees enter waterways at spots with no safety cover. Designated zones come with boats, divers and rescue teams; improvised spots like this stretch of the Kotri canal come with none. It is also Kota's second major accident within days, after a bus plunged off an expressway earlier this month (read our report on the Kota bus accident).
What happens next
The search comes first: divers and SDRF teams will keep working the canal until the four missing youths are traced, with the stopped water flow expected to help. Police will likely question the three survivors about how the boat overturned, and action over the violation of prohibitory orders can't be ruled out. Similar festival-season accidents this month — including the Gwalior truck crash during a festival gathering (toll update here) — may push authorities to tighten enforcement at non-designated sites.
By GlobalDeskNews Staff
Sources
- Free Press Journal (agency feed), "Rajasthan's Kota Boat Tragedy During Durga Idol Immersion Leaves 4 Youths Missing, SDRF Launches Rescue Operation," published October 20, 2026 — full story
- ANI via LatestLY, "Rajasthan: Four Missing as Boat Capsizes in Kota Canal During Durga Idol Immersion," published October 20, 2026 — full story