Jabalpur Bargi Dam Cruise Boat Tragedy Claims 7 Lives, 15 Rescued Survivor Recounts Horror: 'Mirror Broke After....'

(MENAFN- Live Mint) In the Jabalpur Bargi Dam tragedy, a cruise boat carrying 29 passengers capsized after hitting a strong wave on Thursday. According to Madhya Pradesh minister Dharmendra Lodhi, bodies of seven people have been recovered. A total of 15 people have been rescued so far. Following a sudden storm on 30 April, the boat overturned in the Bargi dam reservoir.

Speaking with PTI, Dharmendra Lodhi said, "It is a deeply heartbreaking and tragic incident, and one hopes that such an event never occurs again. I believe the rescue operation had already started yesterday evening, and it is indeed a very sad incident. Certainly, steps need to be taken to ensure that such incidents do not happen in the future."

Also Read | Hawaii experiences worst flooding in 20 yrs as thousands asked to evacuate

He added, "What has happened is truly heart-wrenching, and it is impossible to fully express it in words. So far, the bodies of seven people have been recovered. A thorough investigation will definitely be conducted to determine how this accident occurred, and action will be taken against those found responsible."

Search and rescue operations are underway at Bargi Dam in Madhya Pradesh's Jabalpur. Over the tragedy, Jabalpur Collector Raghvendra Singh said that cruises operate in the reservoir for recreational activities and one such cruise capsized during the day.“We have sent the bodies for postmortem. SDRF (State Disaster Response Force) and NDRF (National Disaster Response Force) are here and carrying out the operation. Rescue operation is ongoing,” ANI quoted Raghvendra Singh as saying.

Also Read | Death toll in Jabalpur hit-and-run accident mounts to five Survivor recounts horror

A survivor of Jabalpur Bargi Dam cruise boat tragedy in an interview with ANI said, "My son and wife are missing. I got hurt when the mirror on the cruise boat broke after hitting a wave. The staff did not provide us with life jackets; we arranged them and distributed them ourselves."

As per an eyewitness account, strong winds may have contributed to the incident. "It was really windy. We told the boat operator to come to the other end, but he paid no heed. It started for the other side but capsized in the middle of the dam. A few people in life jackets jumped off the boat... We safely rescued about 15-16 people... We rushed them to the hospital. The bodies were taken away," an eyewitness told ANI.

According to another eyewitness, the boat operator was warned about windy weather that proved to be dangerous and was asked to pull the boat on the side and anchor it prior to the mishap. However, the boat operator ignored the warning signs and took the cruise in the middle of the water where it met the fatal accident.

Also Read | Satish Sanpal's Path from Jabalpur to Dubai and His Role at Anax Holding

Madhya Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Rajendra Shukla in a post on X said,"The news of the cruise accident at the Bargi Dam in Jabalpur is extremely heartbreaking and distressing. My deepest condolences go out to the families who have lost their loved ones in this tragic incident. The local administration and SDRF-NDRF teams are engaged with full promptness in relief and rescue operations. I pray to God to grant peace to the departed souls and a swift recovery to the injured."

MENAFN01052026007365015876ID1111057319