NEW DELHI: A heart wrenching picture from the recent boat tragedy near Bargi Dam, showing a deceased woman clutching her young son, has deeply moved people, reflecting her final instinct to shield her child.
The victims, residents of Delhi, had travelled to Jabalpur to attend a housewarming ceremony, relatives said. What began as a family visit turned tragic when three of six members died after a cruise boat capsized in the Bargi reservoir on the Narmada River.
After attending the function, the family from Delhi Cantonment planned a brief sightseeing trip before returning home. On Thursday evening, they boarded a cruise boat at the dam along with around 40 passengers. Strong winds and turbulent waves struck suddenly, overturning the vessel.
Kuldeep, a relative, said Marina, her four-year-old son Trishan, and her mother Madhur Massey lost their lives. Marina’s husband Pradeep, their daughter Siya, and her father Julius Massey survived the incident.
“The six had gone to Jabalpur on Wednesday for a house inauguration. After the ceremony on Thursday evening, they decided to spend some leisure time and went towards the dam. Around 5:30 to 6 pm, a storm struck, leading to the tragic accident,” Kuldeep said.
The bodies were brought to Delhi’s Mayapuri area on Saturday, where relatives and friends gathered to mourn. The family had been scheduled to return the same day.
Another relative said Marina had been speaking to her younger sister moments before the incident, sharing videos of the outing. Everyone appeared cheerful, with music playing onboard, he added.
However, the weather changed abruptly. “She was screaming that the ship was sinking and soon after, all contact was lost,” he said. Later, the family was informed of the tragedy by the boat operator.
Family members alleged that warnings about worsening weather were ignored. Another relative, Gladwin, said conditions had already been unstable before departure.
For hours, hope remained that the missing had survived, but it faded when the bodies were recovered the next morning, leaving the family devastated.