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Jabalpur tragedy: MP tourism boat sailed despite yellow alert, life jackets locked below deck
The Narmada Queen was allowed to sail despite a storm alert from the weather department, claimed survivors.
Survivors of the Bargi Dam boat capsize said on Friday that the Narmada Queen was allowed to sail despite a storm alert from the weather department, and that no passengers had been made to wear life-jackets before boarding — as rescue teams continued to search for the missing a day after the accident that killed at least nine people with six still unaccounted for.
The Narmada Queen, a 90-passenger vessel operated by the MP Tourism Department and in service since 2006, was carrying over 40 tourists when a violent storm struck at around 6pm on Thursday. Chief minister Mohan Yadav said 29 tickets had been issued but a local rescuer said several more were allowed to board because it was the day’s last ride.
Rajesh Soni, a survivor who was on board with three family members, said weather alerts should have stopped the boat from sailing. “Despite that the boat was allowed to operate. It is a major lapse,” he said. His other family members were rescued safely.
According to the Jabalpur weather office, a yellow alert for heavy rain was issued for Thursday. Indian Meteorological department, Bhopal scientist Abhilasha Shrivastava said, “The alert of thunderstorm with gusty winds of 40-50 km per hours has been sent to all the district meteorological office on weather forecast on April 30 morning.”
Soni said the crew began looking for life-jackets only after conditions worsened. “There was a mad rush to get the jackets stored on the lower floor. Some passengers were not able to wear them. Those who managed to wear them survived long enough to be rescued; the rest drowned,” he said.
Sangeeta Kori, another survivor, said the life-jackets had not been distributed at boarding. “None of the passengers had worn life jackets when the boat started. 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.
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Tourism corporation adviser Rajendra Nigam said the Narmada Queen had undergone annual maintenance in October last year. “It was well maintained,” he said.
Confirming the October service, the Boat Club manager Sunil Maravi said: “It was well maintained.”
Locals on the shore said they had been shouting at the helmsman to turn back for 15 to 20 minutes before the capsize, but their warnings went unheeded. “Suddenly, the boat turned upside down and all people were in the water. Some of us swam towards the boat and rescued some people,” one of them said.
One of the survivors, however, alleged that the pilot and crew abandoned ship before it capsized, leaving passengers to fend for themselves.
Advocate Roshan Anand Verma, who was on board with nine family members, said, “The weather was clear when we boarded. But as the boat reached mid-dam, the skies turned suddenly. Fierce winds whipped up massive waves that battered the vessel, even flooding the cabin. Panic spread among passengers, who had not been given life jackets. As the boat spun out of control, the pilot and crew leapt overboard to save themselves, triggering chaos. Terrified, passengers prayed for their lives.”
The cruise pilot Mahesh Patel refuted it and said, “The cruise sank within frequent of seconds after riders rushed to one spot to collect life jacket. Even, I was rescued by locals after an hour of the tragedy.”
Construction workers at a nearby water plant were among the first to respond before emergency services arrived. Deputy Inspector General (DIG) Jabalpur Atul Singh said the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) reached the site at around 8pm, by which time it was pitch dark. “The SDRF was able to find the boat in an hour and retrieved some bodies,” he said. Around 10pm, rescuers used gas cutters to open the submerged hull. The boat was brought to shore the following morning after all trapped bodies were retrieved.
By Friday evening, divers had recovered five bodies; five people remained missing, of whom four are children and one woman.
For some families, the wait continued. Jabalpur resident Syed Riaz Hussain, whose wife, grandson and sister-in-law were among the missing, said he had not given up hope. “I am just praying that they are alive,” he said.
