A tourist cruise boat capsized in Madhya Pradesh’s Jabalpur district at Bargi Dam, leading to a major rescue operation. The incident resulted in six fatalities, with 19 individuals rescued and 15 still missing. The boat overturned due to a sudden storm and strong winds about 300 meters from the dam’s embankment on Thursday evening.
Rescue efforts, involving the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), local police, and other agencies, have been ongoing since the accident. Despite challenges posed by darkness and intermittent rain, search operations continued with the use of powerful searchlights. SDRF personnel utilized gas cutters to rescue a passenger trapped inside the submerged vessel for nearly three hours.
The rescue operation, characterized by coordinated underwater and surface searches, is being conducted urgently to locate the missing passengers. The ill-fated cruise boat, which had a capacity of 60 passengers and was the only operational vessel at Bargi Dam, was built in 2006. The district administration has established a control room at the Collector’s office in Jabalpur to aid families and provide information, with a helpline number (0761-2624355) operational throughout the night.
Public Works Department Minister Rakesh Singh visited the site and oversaw the rescue operations. Chief Minister Mohan Yadav has instructed financial assistance of Rs 4 lakh each to be given to the families of the deceased. The state government is also ensuring comprehensive medical treatment for the injured. Rescue operations will continue through the night as teams intensify efforts to locate the missing passengers.
