The death toll in the Bargi Dam tragedy rose to nine on Friday, as rescuers recovered the bodies of five more persons who were on the cruise boat that overturned in the reservoir in Madhya Pradesh's Jabalpur, while the search continues for six others still missing.
Talking to PTI Videos, Madhya Pradesh tourism minister Dharmendra Bhav Singh Lodhi said, "Four bodies were recovered on Thursday, while five were found in the early hours during the rescue operation, taking the toll to nine."
As many as 28 people have been rescued so far, and the rescue operation is underway in full swing, he said.
A search and rescue operation for the missing passengers continued overnight with teams from the Army, NDRF and SDRF joining in, State PWD Minister Rakesh Singh said.
Hydraulic cranes are being used to pull out the cruise boat from the water body, he said.
Lodhi said that a thorough probe will be conducted, and the issue of life jackets, raised by one of the survivors, will also be investigated.
Delhi-resident Sangeeta Kori, who watched her family members disappear into the reservoir after their cruise boat capsized told PTI that the vessel was carrying nearly 40 people - including children without tickets - and that the driver ignored warnings from locals to steer toward safety.
"Six of us had come from Delhi to visit Jabalpur. Around 4 pm, we decided on a whim to go to Bargi Dam. Around 6 pm, the cruise was returning when the winds became strong, and water started entering the boat," Kori said with tears in her eyes.
According to her, lack of preparedness and negligence led to the tragedy.
"None of the passengers had worn life jackets. They were just kept somewhere inside. When the water started filling, they tried to distribute them, but it led to panic and scuffles. Within moments, the boat tipped over," she said.
Kori, who managed to survive by grabbing a jacket in the chaos, alleged that the operator's greed for money had outweighed passenger safety.
Three members of the family managed to get out, while one died and two are still missing, she said.
"Locals were shouting from the bank and signalling the operator to steer the boat to safety, but he didn't listen. He seemed inexperienced," she said, adding that the tragedy could have been averted if the boat had been diverted in time.
On Thursday evening, cruise boat with passengers and two crew members onboard overturned in the Bargi Dam after encountering a sudden storm.
The Bargi Dam is constructed on the Narmada River in Jabalpur district.