A cruise boat carrying around 30 passengers capsized in the Bargi Dam in Jabalpur district of Madhya Pradesh on Thursday evening after losing balance amid sudden stormy weather.
While at least six bodies have so far been retrieved from the surging waters of the dam built on the Narmada river, 15 passengers managed to swim to safety. The deceased reportedly include two women.
Around 8 to 10 passengers are still missing in the dam waters, with police and State Disaster Emergency Response Force (SDERF) personnel engaged in an intensive search and rescue operation.
The incident occurred near Khamaria Tapu (island) in the Bargi Dam area. Sudden adverse weather conditions triggered strong winds and high waves, causing the cruise boat to lose balance, overturn, and gradually sink.
Officials said the rescue efforts are being carried out on a war footing, though operations are being hampered by poor visibility.
Teams are using boats and other equipment to scan the waters for survivors and missing passengers.
Upon receiving information about the incident, Jabalpur District Collector Raghvendra Singh and Superintendent of Police Sampat Upadhyaya rushed to the spot and are overseeing the ongoing rescue efforts.
Additional Superintendent of Police (ASP-Jabalpur) Anjana Tiwari confirmed the incident, stating that six bodies have been recovered so far, while search operations continue for those still unaccounted for.
Preliminary inputs suggest that a sudden storm was the primary cause of the accident, though a detailed inquiry is likely to be conducted to ascertain whether safety protocols were followed.
Further details are awaited.
