The death toll in the cruise boat accident at Bargi Dam in Jabalpur district has increased to 13. According to police, the bodies of a five-year-old child and his uncle were recovered on Sunday morning. Police said that the bodies of five-year-old Mayuram and his 50-year-old uncle Kamraj (who was an employee at the Ordnance Factory in Khamaria) were found floating in the dam and were pulled out.
All 13 missing people have now been traced – SDOP
Bargi SDOP Anjul Ayank Mishra said that all the 13 missing people have now been traced and the bodies have been sent to the government hospital for post-mortem. The accident occurred on Thursday evening when the nearly 20-year-old boat, which was operated by the state tourism department, capsized during a strong storm. National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) and local divers were involved in the search and rescue operation along with about 20 army divers airlifted from Agra.
According to police, 28 of the 41 identified passengers on board the boat were rescued safely after the accident. At the same time, in the CCTV footage installed near the boarding point, 43 people were seen going towards the boat, although till now only 41 passengers have been identified. The state government on Friday had ordered an inquiry into the incident and dismissed three crew members. Besides, operation of other such boats has also been banned in the state.