From correspondents in Uttar Pradesh, India, 03:01 PM IST

At least two people were drowned and nine went missing when a boat capsized in the Yamuna river in Uttar Pradesh, police said Tuesday.

'The accident took place Monday night near Piprodar village on the river in Banda district,' police inspector R.K. Mishra told IANS by telephone.

Banda is about 250 km from Lucknow.

'The accident occurred while a group of villagers, mainly girls, tried to interchange their boat midstream,' Mishra said.

As many as 15 people were in the boat at the time of the accident. Of them, four managed to swim to the shore, he added.

The villagers had boarded the boat to perform religious rites on account of Pitra Paksha, devoted to making of oblations to the ancestors, police said.

Rescue operations are underway in which four steamers have also been deployed, police added.

(Staff Writer, © IANS)