Survivors of the Barge Dam boat capsize said on Friday that the Narmada Queen ship was allowed to sail despite a storm alert from the Meteorological Department, and that no passengers were forced to wear life jackets before boarding the ship – as rescue teams continued to search for missing people a day after the accident that claimed at least nine lives and six are still missing.
The Narmada Queen, a 90-passenger ship run by the MP Tourism Department and in operation since 2006, was carrying more than 40 tourists when a violent storm hit around 6pm on Thursday. Prime Minister Mohan Yadav said 29 tickets had been issued but a local rescuer said more people were allowed on board because it was the last flight of the day.
Rajesh Soni, a survivor who was on the boat with three family members, said weather alerts should have prevented the boat from sailing. “Even though the boat was allowed to operate, it was a big misstep,” he said. Other members of his family were rescued safely.
According to the Meteorological Office in Jabalpur, a yellow alert for heavy rain has been issued on Thursday. “A thunderstorm alert with gusty winds of 40-50 km per hour has been sent to all district meteorological offices for weather forecast on April 30 morning,” said India Meteorologist Abhilasha Shrivastava of the India Meteorological Department.
Sony said the crew did not begin searching for life jackets until conditions deteriorated. He added: “There was a mad rush to store jackets in the basement. Some passengers were unable to wear them. Those who were able to wear them survived long enough to be rescued, but the rest drowned.”
Sangeeta Kori, another survivor, said life jackets were not distributed when boarding the plane. “None of the passengers were wearing life jackets when the boat started. They were kept somewhere inside. When the water started filling, they tried to distribute them, but that led to panic and fights. Within moments, the boat capsized,” she said.
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Rajendra Nigam, advisor to the Tourism Board, said that the Narmada Queen underwent annual maintenance in October last year. “It’s been well maintained,” he said.
Confirming the October service, Boat Club director Sunil Maravi said: “It has been well maintained.”
Locals on the beach said they had been shouting at the helmsman to turn around for 15 to 20 minutes before he capsized, but their warnings went unheeded. One of them said: “Suddenly, the boat turned upside down and all the people were in the water. Some of us swam towards the boat and rescued some people.”
However, one survivor claimed that the pilot and crew abandoned the ship before it capsized, leaving the passengers to fend for themselves.
Lawyer Roshan Anand Verma, who was on the boat with nine family members, said: “The weather was clear when we boarded the boat. But when the boat reached the middle of the dam, the sky suddenly turned. The strong winds created huge waves that hit the ship, even submerging the cabin. Panic spread among the passengers, who did not have life jackets. When the boat went out of control, the pilot and crew jumped overboard to save themselves, creating chaos. The passengers prayed “Those who are terrified for their lives.”
Cruise pilot Mahesh Patel refuted the matter and said, “The cruise sank within seconds after passengers rushed to one place to receive a life jacket. Even locals rescued me an hour after the tragedy.”
Construction workers at a nearby water station were among the first to respond before emergency services arrived. Jabalpur Deputy Inspector General Atul Singh said that the state disaster response force reached the spot at around 8 pm and it was pitch dark at that time. He said: “The rapid response forces were able to find the boat within an hour and recovered some bodies.” At approximately 10 p.m., rescuers used gas cutters to open the submerged structure. The boat was moved to shore the next morning after all the trapped bodies were recovered.
By Friday evening, divers had recovered five bodies. Five people are still missing, including four children and one woman.
For some families, the wait continues. Jabalpur resident Syed Riaz Hussain, whose wife, grandson and sister-in-law were among the missing, said he had not given up hope. “I just pray that they are alive,” he added.
