JABALPUR: The death toll in the cruise boat tragedy at Bargi Dam in Madhya Pradesh's Jabalpur district rose to 13 on Sunday, as rescue teams recovered two more bodies, including those of a five-year-old boy and his uncle, police said.
The boat, approximately 20 years old and operated by the state tourism department, capsized during a storm on Thursday evening. According to Bargi Sub Divisional Officer of Police Anjul Ayank Mishra, the bodies of Mayuram (5) and his uncle Kamraj (around 50), an employee of the Ordnance Factory in Khamaria, were found floating and were retrieved from the dam.
Police confirmed that all 13 missing persons have now been accounted for. The recovered bodies were sent to a government hospital for postmortem examination. The search operation involved around 20 Army divers airlifted from Agra, along with personnel from the National Disaster Response Force, State Disaster Response Force, and local divers.
Of the 41 identified passengers on board the vessel, 28 were rescued after the incident, according to police. CCTV footage near the boarding point showed 43 people heading towards the boat, though the identities of 41 passengers have been confirmed so far.
The state government on Friday ordered a probe into the incident and dismissed three crew members. It has also banned the operation of similar vessels in the state.
