Ludhiana survivor recalls horrific Vrindavan tragedy, says social media reel became lifesaver

A social media reel proved to be a lifesaver for 55-year-old Rajinder Kaur, a resident of Dugri, Ludhiana, who managed to survive the Vrindavan boat tragedy. After jumping into the water when the boat capsized, Rajinder implemented the tips she had seen in a reel on social media and managed to stay alive.

While recounting the horror and seeing her death from so close, Rajinder said “After falling into the water, I didn’t open my mouth and held my breath. I straightened both my arms and started moving my legs. Later, the boatmen came to my rescue and pulled me out. I also told the boatmen about another youth and a woman, who were also saved.”

She shared that about 38 persons were aboard the boat. “Suddenly, it was stopped mid-way and everyone started asking why it had been stopped. The boatman told them to move to another boat, to which she and other women on board refused. Later, four elderly people moved to the other boat and were fortunate enough to not face the tragedy. Within a minute a pontoon bridge came very close rapidly and collided with our boat, which got entangled in the bridge rope and capsized. After this, the entire bridge fell on top of the boat and sank it.

When the boat started capsizing, she grabbed it because she was standing there filming it. When the bridge fell over the boat, she let go of the boat and jumped into the water. “The people trapped under the boat couldn’t be rescued because the bridge fell over them and didn’t allow them to move or swim,” Rajinder said.

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She added that, “I was close to death and suddenly I remembered watching a reel on Instagram, which taught how to avoid drowning. I followed those steps: Holding my breath, closing my mouth, straightening my arms and moving my legs. This prevented me from drowning as the water could not enter my mouth and nose. Later, another boatman came and threw a inflated tube, which I grabbed and came out alive.”

15 pilgrims had died in the tragedy, of which 12 belonged to Ludhiana and Jagraon area, while four belonged to other places in Punjab, of which one is still missing.

Jagraon resident critical, son seeks govt help

A Jagraon resident, Rekha Jain, injured in the Vrindavan accident, is said to be critical and undergoing treatment at a private hospital in Chandigarh. Rekha’s son, Shwet Jain, released a video, stating that his mother was facing severe difficulty in breathing. She was brought to the PGI in Chandigarh on oxygen support on Monday.

However, she was admitted to a general ward, where approximately 100 patients were already present and vetilator was not available. Due to lack of timely and proper treatment, her health deteriorated further. So, they shifted her to a private hospital in Chandigarh.

Shwet, seen crying in the video, said that the administration and the government had been making tall claims, but they were receiving no help. The SDM of Jagraon was not answering their calls. Now, their mother has been admitted to a private hospital in Sector 34, Chandigarh. They are bearing the entire cost of her treatment.

Jain appealed to the Punjab Government for help. He said his father had died two years back and now his mother was his world. Due to poor financial condition, he said he could not afford the treatment of his mother.