The death toll in the Bargi Dam boat tragedy in Madhya Pradesh’s Jabalpur district rose to 10 on Saturday evening after the body of a child was recovered, while search operations continued for three missing tourists two days after the vessel capsized during a storm.
The cruise boat, operated by the state tourism department, overturned on Thursday evening, with survivors alleging negligence and safety lapses, including delay in the distribution of life jackets.
Sub-Divisional Officer of Police Anjul Ayank Mishra said the body recovered was believed to be that of six-year-old Viraj Soni. “The identity will be confirmed after family members identify the body,” he said.
Three persons, Kamraj, an employee of the Ordnance Factory at Khamaria, his five-year-old son Tamil, and another child, Mayuram (5), who had come from southern India, remain untraced.
Also read: MP govt bans statewide cruise services, orders probe
Authorities have intensified efforts to locate the missing, deploying specialised equipment to scan deeper sections of the dam. Divers and disaster response teams have expanded the search radius to five kilometres, while a generator is being arranged to support underwater operations.
More than 200 rescuers are involved in the operation, including around 20 Army divers airlifted from Agra. Teams from the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), and local divers resumed the search at 5 am on Saturday, though strong winds briefly disrupted operations later in the morning.
Of the 41 identified passengers on board, 28 were rescued, police said. CCTV footage from the boarding area indicated that 43 people had approached the vessel, raising questions over passenger count.
Post-mortem examinations of nine victims have been completed. “Our priority is to search for the missing persons. We will also register a First Information Report in the case soon,” Mishra said.
The state government has ordered a probe into the incident, dismissed three crew members, and banned the operation of similar vessels pending further review.
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