Jabalpur (Madhya Pradesh): The tragic capsize of a cruise at Jabalpur’s Bargi Dam, which claimed 13 lives, continues to cause panic even days after the incident.
Families of two passengers are still waiting for information about their missing loved ones, while others are left with several unanswered questions. So far, 28 people have been rescued, and efforts are underway to find the remaining missing persons
Rescue teams including NDRF, SDRF and a special Army diving team are carrying out search operations at present.
‘Cruise was just 50 meters from bank’
Meanwhile, the pilot, Mahesh Patel (45), a resident of Ghullapat village in Bargi, shared his personal experience after the mishap.
He said the cruise started its journey at around 5:16 pm on April 30, and had nearly completed 30 - 35 minutes of travel when a sudden storm and strong winds hit the area.
Patel said he tried to steer the cruise towards the shore, but the weather worsened quickly. When the boat was about 50 metres from the bank, water started entering it.
He immediately called for help and asked for boats, but within minutes, the situation went out of control and the cruise overturned, causing panic among passengers.
He said all passengers were given life jackets and staff were instructed to ensure safety. However, the sudden storm created chaos, and many people struggled to escape.
On the number of passengers, Patel said around 32 had tickets, but with additional people and staff, the total number was about 37, excluding small children.
‘Engine had technical issues’
He also revealed that one engine of the cruise had a technical issue, running below normal capacity.
He had filed a complaint about it three months ago, but no major inspection had been carried out in the past one and a half years.
However, he maintained that the accident was caused by the sudden storm, not the engine problem.
‘No weather alert given’
Patel claimed that no weather alert was given to him before the trip. He questioned the action taken against him, saying he is being blamed unfairly.
He expressed grief over the incident, saying he cannot forget the scene and feels deep pain for the victims’ families.
Following the incident, he has been dismissed from service.
The tragedy has raised serious concerns over safety measures, technical inspections, and weather alert systems.
Authorities are investigating whether the accident was purely due to natural causes or if negligence also played a role.
