Jabalpur Bargi Dam tragedy: Death toll in tourist cruise capsize mounts to 9, several still missing

Jabalpur Bargi Dam tragedy:  The death toll in the tragic Bargi Dam cruise capsize incident in Madhya Pradesh’s Jabalpur district has reached nine while several tourists are still missing.

The tourist cruise operated by the state tourism department capsized amid a sudden and intense storm last evening. The incident occurred between 3 pm and 4 pm, leaving at least nine persons dead, while several others remain unaccounted for.

According to officials, around 40 to 45 tourists were onboard the vessel at the time of the accident. So far, 24 persons have been rescued safely, but the authorities fear that more than nine persons are still missing. The cruise reportedly overturned nearly 300 metre away from the shore.

Bargi City CSP Anjul Mishra said teams from the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) managed to pull out several passengers in the immediate aftermath. However, rescue operations were severely hampered due to poor visibility, strong winds and worsening weather conditions. The search operation resumed on Friday morning with renewed intensity.

Among the victims were a mother and her four-year-old son from Delhi. The deceased have been identified as Marina Massey (39) and her son Trishan (4). Rescue teams recovered their bodies on Friday morning. The mother held her child tightly against her chest in a final attempt to protect him. The child’s father, Pradeep Massey, and a daughter survived the tragedy.

Multiple agencies have joined the rescue efforts. Along with local administration, the Army has been deployed at the site. Specialised teams from Hyderabad, supported by a helicopter, have been mobilised, while a paramilitary unit from Kolkata has also reached Jabalpur. Heavy machinery, including hydraulic equipment and poclain machines, is being used to retrieve the submerged cruise from nearly 20 feet deep water.

The cruise pilot, Mahesh, who has over a decade of experience, stated that safety measures were in place but the sudden storm left no time for corrective action. “The vessel lost control within moments. The weather changed abruptly  and passengers had no opportunity to react,” he said.

A family from the Ordnance Factory area in Khamaria was among those affected. Kamraj Arya, an employee in the A3 section of the factory, had gone for an outing with 15 family members. While his parents remained ashore, Kamraj, along with his wife, sister-in-law and children, boarded the cruise. One of his sons has been rescued, but Kamraj, his wife, and another child are still missing. The family is originally from Karnataka.

Meanwhile, Madhya Pradesh Tourism Minister Dharmendra Lodhi reached Jabalpur following the incident. However, his statement has drawn attention after he claimed he was unaware of whether petrol or diesel-powered boats were permitted in the Narmada river.

Officials from the tourism department revealed that the ill-fated cruise was built in 2006 and had a passenger capacity of 60. Currently, it is the only operational cruise at Bargi Dam, as another vessel remains out of service.

Authorities have confirmed the identities of nine deceased victims, including eight women and one child:
The deceased 

• Neetu Soni (43), resident of Kotwali, Jabalpur
• Soubhagyam Alagan (42), resident of West Tarapuram, Tamil Nadu
• Madhur Massey (62), resident of New Delhi
• Karkulazhi (38), resident of Khamaria, Jabalpur
• Reshma Saiyed (66)
• Syeda Ameen Fatima (68)
• Marina Massey (39), Delhi
• Trishan (4), Delhi
• Jyoti Sen, resident of Patan Bypass, Jabalpur