All missing travellers of the ill-fated cruise vessel in Madhya Pradesh's Bargi Dam have now been accounted for after the bodies of a middle-aged man and a child were recovered. A total of 13 people lost their lives in the tragic boat capsize that shocked the country.
The bodies of Mayuram (5) and his uncle Kamraj (around 50), an employee of the Ordnance Factory in Khamaria, were found floating in the dam when recovered, the Madhya Pradesh Police was quoted as confirming by news agency PTI.
Teams comprising around 20 Army divers airlifted from Agra, along with personnel from the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), and local divers, were involved in the search operation, the police said.
Of the 41 identified passengers on board the vessel, 28 were rescued after the incident, according to the police.
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The CCTV footage near the boarding point showed 43 people heading towards the boat, though the identities of 41 passengers have been confirmed so far, they said.
The state government on Friday ordered a probe into the incident and dismissed three crew members. It also banned the operation of similar vessels in the state.
Several passengers moved to the upper deck because it was open and were walking around when the storm struck—making the situation even worse, reports had said. 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.