- By Aditya Jha
- Fri, 01 May 2026 09:55 AM (IST)
- Source:JND
Jabalpur Boat Accident:The death toll in the cruise boat capsizing incident at Bargi Dam in Jabalpur reportedly rose to nine on Friday. The officials stated that the search and rescue operation is underway at the site, adding that 22 tourists have been rescued so far. State Minister Rakesh Singh stated that the rescue team faced several challenges due to the darkness and adverse weather conditions. The survivors have alleged that even basic safety standards were not followed by the authorities, adding that the tourists distributed the life jacket by themselves.
While talking to the reporters, one of the survivors alleged that passengers were not provided with life jackets. He further stated that the passengers arranged the life jackets and distributed them among themselves as the boat began sinking.
"My son and wife are missing. I got hurt when the mirror on the cruise boat broke after hitting a wave. The staff did not provide us with life jackets; we arranged them and distributed them ourselves," a survivor was quoted as saying by the news agency ANI.
'Life Jackets Were Not Given'
Priya Sharma, another survivor, asserted that the jackets were not visible due to the overload, adding that there was no one to check the movement of children. "Tourists were crammed onto the boat so tightly that not a single life jacket was visible. Children were running around unchecked, and the boat's railing was so low that anyone could easily tumble over it," Sharma said.
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'Boat Operator Ignored The Warning'
One of the eyewitnesses also alleged that the locals advised the boat operator to turn back aid the poor weather condition; however, he continued the ride, leading to the tragedy, reported the Times of India. The survivors also flagged that only two crew members were present at the boat, adding that they did not assist any passenger during the accident.