Overview
- A motorised ferry carrying roughly 30–50 devotees capsized in the Godavari near Golegaon on Wednesday morning, throwing dozens into the water and triggering immediate local rescue efforts.
- Officials and local reports give conflicting casualty totals: early statements said one woman drowned while later reporting identified two deceased pilgrims, both from Buldhana district.
- Eyewitnesses and multiple outlets said the boat was heavily overloaded beyond its rated capacity and lacked basic safety measures such as life jackets and fitness certificates.
- Local fishermen, villagers and police rescued many passengers, Majalgaon Rural Police have suspended boat services at Purushottampuri, and Beed district collector Vivek Johnson has ordered an SDO-level probe while an FIR was delayed by jurisdictional confusion.
- The site is a major Purushottampuri pilgrimage crossing used heavily during the Adhik Maas season, and the incident has revived long-standing complaints about unlicensed operators, spotty riverfront monitoring and the need for stricter safety enforcement.