‘Death was right in front of us’: Survivors recall chaos on Jabalpur boat that killed 11 in Madhya Pradesh

E-PaperSubscribeSubscribeEnjoy unlimited accessSubscribe Now! Get features like Eleven people have died since a tourist boat capsized at the Bargi Dam in Madhya Pradesh’s Jabalpur on April 30. A cruise carrying more than 40 passengers overturned during strong winds and rough water conditions; several people were thrown into the Narmada reservoir. Survivors have now described moments of panic. A family member cries after finding mortal remains of victims, who were found dead after a cruise boat overturned in Bargi Dam. (PTI)“Death was right in front of us,” advocate Roshan Anand Verma, who was travelling with his family, told news agency ANI. He said the boat was quickly overwhelmed by waves, adding that “there was chaos for nearly half an hour.” “But we did not give up. We moved towards the shore with an 11-year-old child. Somehow, we found support and managed to climb to safety,” the advocate said. Verma said his family focused on distributing life jackets in time. The death toll rose to 11 on Saturday after divers recovered the bodies of two children during search operations in the reservoir. Officials said villagers and local department workers reached the spot first and rescued several people even before teams from the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) arrived. Twenty-eight passengers were saved during the initial operation. The cruise operator, Mahesh Patel, said he alerted the Boat Club control room as soon as conditions worsened. Patel also said blame should not be placed on him as he stayed until all passengers left the vessel, according to reports. The brother of the victims said he lost three family members, his sister, mother, and four-year-old nephew, in the tragedy. He alleged that the accident happened due to negligence, claiming the cruise continued operating despite repeated warnings and was in poor condition. He also said life jackets were not provided in time. Another survivor, Savita Verma, said the outing had been planned as a family celebration. “We had gone there to spend quality time and celebrate. No one imagined something like this could happen. Everyone was enjoying, and in a moment, everything changed,” she told ANI. “There was no one to provide help,” she said. She said hospital staff gave her a bill of ₹4,700 despite limited treatment. “Our phones were switched off, and there was no online payment facility. Still, we were first given the bill. One person received four stitches, others were given injections, but no proper medication was provided,” she said. Verma said she had to call her brother in Varanasi to arrange the payment. “Only after that was the bill cleared,” she said. The Madhya Pradesh government has announced compensation for the families of the dead and ordered action against officials linked to the incident.