Sitapur, Mar 15 (UNI) Three persons, including two women, were drowned and 12 others went missing after a boat carrying 15 people capsized in Sharda river in Sitapur district of Uttar Pradesh on Saturday.

Police sources here said that a youth of Ratanganj village drowned while bathing in Sharda river after playing Holi on Friday. "On Saturday around 15 people, mostly women and children, were coming to attend his funeral by boat," they said.

The sources said that due to strong winds, the boat suddenly capsized. "The divers and villagers present on the spot tried to save the people, but three people could be rescued and 12 people went missing," they said.

Police sources said that the bodies of Sanjay, a resident of Raipur, his sister Khushboo and a girl were taken out from the river by the divers and taken to Tambaur hospital where they were declared dead.

"A rescue operation to search the other 12 people is underway . The police have deployed divers from other places," they said.

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