Eleven people have died since A A tourist boat capsized at Bargi Dam in Jabalpur, Madhya Pradesh on April 30. A cruise carrying more than 40 passengers capsized during strong winds and rough water conditions; Several people were thrown into the Narmada reservoir. Survivors have now described moments of panic.
“Death was right in front of us,” lawyer Roshan Anand Verma, who was traveling with his family, told news agency ANI. He added that the waves quickly submerged the boat, adding that “chaos reigned for about half an hour.”
“But we did not give up,” the lawyer said. “We moved towards the beach with an 11-year-old child. Somehow, we found support and were able to climb to safety.” Verma said his family focused on distributing life jackets in a timely manner.
the The death toll rose to 11 on Saturday after divers recovered the bodies of two children during searches in the reservoir. Officials said villagers and local administration workers reached the scene first and rescued several people even before teams from the government disaster response force arrived. Twenty-eight passengers were rescued during the initial operation.
cruise operator, Mahesh Patel said he informed the boat club’s control room as soon as conditions deteriorated. Patel also said he should not be blamed because he stayed until all passengers had left the ship, according to reports.
The victims’ brother said he lost three family members – his sister, mother and four-year-old nephew – in the tragedy. He claimed that the accident occurred due to negligence, claiming that the ship continued to operate despite repeated warnings and was in poor condition. He also said that life jackets were not provided in time.
Another survivor, Savita Verma, said the trip was planned as a family celebration. “We went there to have a good time and celebrate. No one would have imagined that something like this could happen. Everyone was having fun, and in an instant everything changed,” she told ANI. “There was no one to help,” she added.
She said hospital staff gave her a bill $4700 despite limited treatment. “Our phones were switched off, and there was no way to pay online. However, we got the bill first. One person received four stitches, others were injected, but the proper medication was not provided,” she said. Verma said she had to call her brother in Varanasi to arrange payment. “Only after that was the bill settled,” she said.
the The Madhya Pradesh government announced compensation to the families of those killed and ordered action against officials linked to the incident.
(With inputs from ANI.)
