In the latest development in the Jabalpur boat accident case, the rescuers recovered the bodies of a mother and her four-year-old son, a day after the boat capsized in Madhya Pradesh's Bargi Dam. The mother was found clutching her child in a final, tight embrace. A river cruise boat carrying several passengers overturned in the Bargi Dam reservoir after encountering a sudden storm on Thursday in the Jabalpur district.
Latest Details Of The Tragedy
Authorities have saved 28 people as of Friday morning. Of those rescued, 17 have been hospitalised. Six people still remains missing.The incident took place at Bargi Dam in Madhya Pradesh's Jabalpur on Thursday.
Cruise Pulled To Shore:The cruise ship has been successfully brought to shore, and efforts are underway to pull it out with a crane. ACS Shri Sanjay Dubey, Dr. Ilaiyaraaja, Divisional Commissioner Shri Dhananjay Singh, Collector Raghavendra Singh, SP Shri Sampat Upadhyay, along with all relevant officials and relief and rescue teams are present at the scene with full readiness.
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Victims identified on Thursday: Five more bodies were found. The deceased were identified as Messi, 62, resident of Delhi; Saubhagya Algan, 42; Kakulajhi, 38; and Neetu Soni, 45. All three resided in Jabalpur.
Victims Identified on Friday: The rescuers recovered four more bodies on Friday. The deceased people include Reshma Syed (66), Shamim Naqvi (66), Marina (36), a resident of Delhi, and Trishant (4) and Jyoti Sen.
Survivor's Allegation: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."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," a tourist said.
Warnings Ignored:The weather department had issued an alert a day before the incident, warning of heavy winds in the area. Despite this, the boat chose to sail on Thursday.
Safety Operation: Rescue operations have been initiated again. Commandant, Home Guard SDRF, Neeraj Singh Rajput, said teams worked continuously despite difficulties.
"The situation here is difficult. Last night it was rainy and dark, so the rescue operation faced some difficulties, but we continued with the help of lights and other equipment. Today, NDRF and Army teams arrived, after which we recovered 5 bodies. A total of 9 bodies have been recovered so far," he said. The Chief Medical and Health Officer (CMHO), Jabalpur, confirmed that 24 rescued persons are undergoing treatment. He said all injured are being provided necessary medical care.
Three major agencies, the Army, the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), and the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), are working together in the search and rescue operations, PTI reported.
Survival Story: A passenger named Riaz remained stranded for three hours, his neck exposed and his body submerged. He was saved by a rescue team while the search for his family continues.
CM Assures Assistance: Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav said earlier assured all possible assistance to affected families, saying "the state government stands with full sensitivity", adding that efforts were underway to trace the missing.
Investigation Ordered: The tourism minister has ordered a probe into the matter and assured strict action against those found responsible. Speaking to ANI, Tourism Minister Dharmendra Singh Lodhi said, "This is a very sad and heartbreaking incident. I have ordered the department to investigate this incident. If negligence has occurred, we will take the strongest possible action. Nine people have died in this incident."