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Five members of a Tamil family among nine killed in Bargi Dam boat tragedy
A senior government official in Tiruppur said arrangements were being made to transport the bodies back to Tamil Nadu.
Five of the nine people killed in the Bargi Dam boat tragedy in Madhya Pradesh’s Jabalpur district on Thursday belonged to a single family from Tamil Nadu, a relative said on Saturday, as authorities began efforts to bring the bodies back to their native place.
The victims included two women — Kaarkuzhali, 38, and Sowbhakiyam, 42 — Kaarkuzhali’s husband Kamaraj, 38, their four-year-old son Tamilvendhan, and seven-year-old Mayuran, Sowbhakiyam’s son. All were residents of Anna Nagar in Dharapuram in Tiruppur district.
“My daughter-in-law, along with my grandson (Tamilvendhan), had gone to visit Sowbhakiyam’s house in Madhya Pradesh. During the trip they went boating where the incident occurred,” Kamaraj’s mother Rajalakshmi told reporters.
Officials said the victims were among nine people who died after a cruise boat overturned and sank in Bargi Dam following a sudden storm on Thursday evening. Twenty-two people were rescued.
A senior government official in Tiruppur said arrangements were being made on Saturday to transport the bodies back to Tamil Nadu.
“I think two of the bodies will be coming via Tiruchirappalli. We expect the rest to arrive directly in the district later,” the official told HT on condition of anonymity.
Responding to a query on compensation, the official said it would be provided as per procedure.
“Since just two days are left for the counting of votes, I cannot say anything more than this,” the official added.
Authorities said further steps were being taken to ensure the return of the victims’ bodies and assist the bereaved families.
