Jabalpur: Nine people have been killed and several others are missing after a cruise boat capsized in the Bargi Dam in Madhya Pradesh’s Jabalpur district on Thursday evening.
Search operations are continuing by personnel of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and State Disaster Emergency Response Force (SDERF).
Preliminary investigation has revealed that the boat was carrying 29 people when it capsized near the Khamaria Tapu (island) in the dam built on the Narmada river.
While 15 passengers managed to swim to safety
, the remaining were missing. Rescuers retrieved nine bodies till Friday morning.
The disaster was a combination of several factors, authorities said. Survivors claimed that not all passengers were issued life jackets.
People also said that the boatman insisted on moving towards the middle of the dam even as weather conditions deteriorated. Many passengers as well as other boatmen advised him to remain near the bank, but he paid no heed.
The boat capsized as the wind picked up and the water got choppy. Rescue efforts were hampered due to the weather and poor visibility.
Rescue and relief operations are being supervised by Jabalpur district collector Raghvendra Singh and SP Sampat Upadhyaya.
The deaths were confirmed by Anjana Tiwari, ASP, Jabalpur.
The state government has ordered a probe into the accident and efforts will be made to ensure greater safety at the popular tourist destination, officials said.