In a harrowing moment during rescue operations in Madhya Pradesh, divers recovered the body of a woman who was still holding her child inside the capsized tourist boat at Bargi Dam, a scene that left even experienced rescuers in shock.
The recovery came as the death toll in the boat tragedy rose to nine on Friday. The accident occurred when a tourist boat capsized in the Narmada river reservoir during a storm the previous day.
A diver recounts a haunting discovery
The Agra-based diving team said the operation was very difficult, as the ship sank in cramped and dangerous conditions that made access difficult.
One of the divers said, recalling the moment they arrived at the woman’s body: “We were shocked when we saw the scene.” He added that the team initially faced “difficulty in recovering the woman’s body from the rubble.”
When they looked closely, they realized why: The woman was “hugging her child tightly. They were inseparable, and it was difficult to separate them. Our team was deeply affected by the scene,” the diver told news agency PTI.
Rough iron bars and tight spaces inside the wreckage made movement difficult, forcing rescuers to use hammers to break small openings to reach the trapped parts.
The agency’s report added that in one case, a diver miraculously escaped falling into a trap while moving among the wreckage.
The death toll rises, and many are still missing
The bodies of eight women and a child have been recovered so far from the reservoir, located about 35 km from Jabalpur, officials said. Rescue teams were able to save 28 passengers, while four people are still missing.
Authorities said tickets were issued for 29 passengers, but survivors claimed the boat was carrying between 43 and 45 people at the time of the accident, raising concerns about possible overcrowding.
Rescue efforts resumed on Friday with reinforcements that included an army team, a helicopter from Hyderabad and a special paramilitary unit from Kolkata.
“Hydraulic machines and excavators are being used to recover the submerged ship, 20 feet underwater,” said Anjul Mishra, Superintendent of Police, Bargi.
Prime Minister Mohan Yadav is expected to visit Jabalpur later today.
