Army Boat Capsizes During Yamuna Training: Massive Search Launched for Two Missing Soldiers

A massive joint search and rescue mission involving the Indian Army, Indian Air Force, local police, and civil authorities is under way in Haryana's Yamunanagar district after an Army boat capsized in the Yamuna river at the Hathnikund Barrage, leaving two personnel missing.

The incident took place on Tuesday evening during a joint watermanship training exercise near the barrage. According to military officials, the boat was caught in powerful downstream currents, prompting immediate recovery efforts by the crew. However, the vessel got trapped in violent eddies around the barrage sluice gates and overturned, sweeping the crew into the turbulent waters.

Multi-Agency Rescue Operations Mobilised

A coordinated search operation was launched shortly after the tragedy struck, deploying specialized equipment and joint recovery teams across the Yamuna stretch downstream of the Hathnikund Barrage. The Indian Air Force alongside ground units from the civil administration and local police are scanning the water channels to locate the two missing servicemen.

"All available resources are being employed to locate and recover the missing soldiers," a defence statement confirmed on Wednesday. Search parties continue to navigate heavy river discharges and hazardous underwater undertows near the hydraulic structure.

Watermanship Drills Under Scrutiny

Watermanship training forms a core component of military operational readiness, designed to prepare troops for river-crossing operations, assault engineering, and flood relief tasks. The Hathnikund Barrage area, where the Yamuna enters the Northern Plains from the Himalayas, experiences swift flow dynamics and unpredictable swirl currents around its gates—factors that created extreme conditions during Tuesday's exercise.

Senior military commanders and local administrative officials are monitoring the situation closely from the site as divers and search craft continue scouring the riverbank stretches. Further updates on the recovery efforts are awaited.