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Over Dozen Dead After Tourist Cruise Capsizes at India's Bargi Dam
(MENAFN) The death toll from a cruise boat capsizing in the central Indian state of Madhya Pradesh has climbed to 13, officials confirmed Monday, as recovery efforts at Bargi Dam enter their fifth day.
The vessel overturned on Thursday at the dam in Jabalpur district, approximately 340 kilometers east of the state capital Bhopal. Authorities confirmed that 28 survivors were pulled to safety following the disaster.
"Yesterday, the bodies of a five-year-old child and his uncle were found floating and fished out of the dam. With this, the death toll in the tragedy has risen to 13," a senior police official said Monday. "All 13 have been identified and the bodies sent to a government hospital for postmortem."
Initial accounts from officials placed the number of passengers at 29 local tourists accompanied by two crew members. However, CCTV footage captured near the boarding point told a different story — footage reviewed by local media appeared to show 43 individuals making their way toward the vessel. To date, the identities of 41 passengers have been verified.
Investigators say the boat was in motion when it was abruptly overwhelmed by a sudden surge of powerful winds, destabilizing the vessel and causing it to capsize.
Emergency responders were swiftly deployed to the scene, including police units and State Disaster Response Force teams. The operation was subsequently reinforced by approximately 20 Indian Army divers airlifted from Agra, Uttar Pradesh, alongside National Disaster Response Force personnel and local diving teams.
The cruise boat, reported to be around two decades old, was operated under the Madhya Pradesh state tourism department. Following the tragedy, local authorities on Friday launched a formal inquiry into the incident, dismissed three crew members, and imposed a blanket ban on the operation of similar vessels across the state.
Bargi Dam, situated along the Narmada River, is home to a tourism resort managed by the Madhya Pradesh tourism department and serves as a hub for a variety of water sports activities.
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