The storm struck suddenly when the ill-fated cruise vessel was sailing along the Bargi reservoir, a report said. Many passengers moved to the upper deck because it was open and were walking around when the situation began to worsen, a local media report said.
According to District Collector Raghvendra Singh, as most passengers moved to the upper deck, the boat lost its balance. With more weight on top, the boat began to tilt to one side and started rocking. Panicked passengers began running from one side to the other, which made the situation worse, a Hindi media report said. As a result, water started entering the lower part of the boat, and those who were on the lower deck became trapped.
Within minutes, the boat began to sink, and people cried out for help. Rescue teams that reached the spot acted immediately and safely evacuated 28 people, the report added.
The cruise pilot, Mahesh Patel, a helper, and the ticket counter in-charge have been terminated from service, media reports said. Meanwhile, Sunil Maravi, the manager of the government-run Maikal Resort and Boat Club, was suspended for negligence, and Regional Manager Sanjay Malhotra has been attached to headquarters, and a departmental inquiry has been initiated against him.
A high-level committee has been formed to conduct a detailed investigation into the incident. It includes the Director General of Home Guards and Civil Defence, a Secretary of the Madhya Pradesh government, and the Commissioner of the Jabalpur division. The committee will thoroughly examine the causes of the accident, compliance with rules, and safety arrangements.
Search area expanded
Meanwhile, Indian Army divers and disaster response teams on Saturday expanded their search at Bargi Dam to locate a man and three children still missing. The search radius has been expanded to 5 km in the backwaters of the Bargi Dam, located downstream of the Narmada River, area Sub-Divisional Officer of Police (SDOP) Anjul Ayank Mishra told PTI.
According to the police, more than 200 rescuers, including around 20 Army divers airlifted from Agra, began the search operation at 5 am on Saturday to trace Kamraj, an employee of the Ordnance Factory in Khamaria, his son Tamil (5), Vijay Soni (6), and Mayuram (5).
