The bodies of a woman and her child, found bound by a single life jacket, were recovered from the Bargi Dam reservoir, located on the Narmada River, in Jabalpur, Madhya Pradesh, after a cruise ship capsized on Thursday night. The death toll from the tragedy has risen to nine, while the search continues for six more missing people. Meanwhile, up to 28 people were rescued.
A diving team from Agra described the difficult conditions inside the submerged vessel, saying that the limited space and protruding iron bars forced rescuers to use hammers to make small openings and that one diver almost got stuck during the operation.
One of the divers told PTI that they faced problems in retrieving the woman’s body from the wreck during the launch, but later realized that she was holding her child tightly, making it difficult to separate them.
“Initially, we faced difficulties in removing the woman’s body from the wreck. Then we found that she was holding her child tightly and it was difficult to separate them. Our team was deeply moved by the scene,” said the diver.
What did the DIG say?
Deputy Inspector General (DIG), Jabalpur, Atul Singh said some bodies were still believed to be trapped inside the overturned vessel, but poor visibility made it difficult to confirm the exact number, according to PTI. He added that the three main agencies — Army, National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) — are jointly conducting search and rescue operations.
The Department of Water Resources and Public Works, along with a construction agency connected to a nearby water company, are helping with technical and engineering support. Singh noted that workers from a local construction firm were the first to arrive at the site and played a key role in helping the survivors reach shore safely after escaping the ship.
He further said that the sunken vessel will only be recovered after the search is fully completed and the authorities are sure that no more bodies remain inside.
Meanwhile, Kori, one of the 16 survivors, claimed the vessel was carrying around 40 people, including children without tickets, and claimed the driver ignored warnings from local residents to move the boat to safety.
According to PTI, she tearfully said, “Six of us came from Delhi to visit Jabalpur. Around 4 pm we decided to go to Bargi dam on a whim. Around 6 pm the cruise was returning when the wind picked up and water started entering the boat.”
Condoling the families of the victims, CM Mohan Yadav said that the locals who risked their lives to save others during the accident would be honored for their bravery on Independence Day.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi condoled the loss of life and announced an ex gratia of ₹2 million for the families of the victims, while the injured would get ₹50,000.
