Hours after an MP Tourism-operated vessel sank in the Bargi Dam in Jabalpur on Thursday, Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister (CM) Dr Mohan Yadav expressed deep sorrow over the incident. He assured the bereaving families of all possible assistance from the state government.
CM takes to ‘X’, announces ex-gratia
MP CM Dr Yadav's ex-gratia announcement tweet
CM Dr Yadav posted a message on ‘X’, condoling the loss of lives in the catastrophic incident. Further in his message, he mentioned that an ex-gratia of Rs 4 lakh each shall be provided to the kin of the deceased. Notably, as many as 29 passengers had booked tickets for the ill-fated cruise. Of them, four died, while 15 persons were rescued. Search operations are still in force to locate the missing passengers.
Storm cited as primary cause
The Chief Minister said that the incident occurred as a sudden and a severe storm hit the region, and lashed the cruise. Consequently, the cruise lost balance and sank. He added that officials are keeping a close tab on the rescue operations, and have been directed to remain on the site.
CM directs PwD minister, Tourism Minister to rush to site
CM Dr Yadav said that no sooner was the information received than he issued directives to the state’s PwD Minister, Rakesh Singh and Tourism Minister, Dharmendra Singh Lodhi to rush to the site and monitor relief measures.
MP CM Dr Yadav's tweet right after the incident
Govt assures complete support
Terming the loss of lives ‘deeply distressing,’ CM Dr Yadav extended his condolences to the bereaved families and reiterated that all possible assistance would be provided to them. His statement read, “The MP government is sensitive to this tragedy and is committed to ensuring support for those affected.”
Officials on ground
Senior administrative officials, including Jabalpur Collector and Superintendent of Police, are present at the site. They are coordinating rescue and relief operations. Meanwhile, emergency teams, including personnel from the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) are scanning the waters and surrounding areas in a bid to trace the ones who went missing.
Also read: MP Tourism-operated cruise sinks at Jabalpur’s Bargi Dam; 4 die, 15 rescued