The death toll in the catastrophic incident, where an MP-tourism-operated cruise capsized in the Bargi Dam in MP’s Jabalpur a few days ago, has mounted to 13, after the rescue personnel recovered the body of the last missing person on Sunday, officials said. The recovery brought an end to an extensive multi-day search operation.
Last body recovered that of a 5-yr-old
A still from the incident
According to officials, the last victim of the tragedy was a kid, identified as Mayuram (5). Earlier on Sunday, another man named Kamraj (50), an employee attached to the Ordnance Factory in Jabalpur’s Khamaria was found dead in the reservoir. Station House Officer (SHO) Neelesh Dohre said that the recovery of the bodies marked the official ending of the rescue operations, transitioning the focus from search and rescue to investigation.
Storm turns leisure ride fatal
The incident transpired on Thursday evening, when a two-decade-old vessel suddenly capsized following a storm in Jabalpur. The incident triggered panic among passengers, many of whom had little room to escape as the boat overturned in turbulent waters.
As per officials, 28 people were rescued in the immediate aftermath, while numerous passengers went missing, following which the authorities launched a large-scale search mission.
200 personnel conducted operation
Official sources said that close to 200 personnel were deployed in the rescue operations, including teams from the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), along with local divers. Reportedly, 20 specialised divers had been airlifted from Agra to assist in the challenging operation.
MP CM Dr Yadav addressing media-persons after the tragedy
The teams pressed into service combed a 5-kilometre radius of the dam, diving to depths of up to 50 feet in a bid to locate the missing passengers. Officials revealed that at least 43 people had boarded the vessel before it embarked on the ill-fated journey.
MP Govt orders probe, 3 crew members dismissed earlier
The Madhya Pradesh government has ordered a comprehensive probe into the circumstances surrounding the incident. Authorities heading the probe will focus on the structural condition of the ageing vessel and adherence to operational safety protocols.
On Friday, the government also dismissed three crew members from service, who were present on the vessel at the time of the incident.