Bharatiya Janata Party leaders, including legislators in the Uttar Pradesh Assembly, escaped unhurt on Saturday evening when their boat capsized in Kuano river in Basti district, reported IANS. They had gone to immerse the ashes of former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee when the accident took place.

Seventeen people, including former state BJP chief Ramapati Ram Tripathi, state minister Suresh Pasi, MP Harish Dwivedi, local MLAs and Superintendent of Police Dilip Kumar, were on the overcrowded boat, reported the Hindustan Times. The incident triggered panic but police personnel and others immediately jumped in to the water.

District Magistrate Raj Shekhar told IANS that the incident happened near the banks. Those who had fallen into the river were brought to safety immediately. After the accident, the ashes were immersed into the river from the ghat itself.