Four dead, several missing after boat capsizes in MP

At least four persons died, and almost 18 were missing after a joyous cruise on the Narmada river backwaters at Bargi dam in Jabalpur in Madhya Pradesh turned fatal. The cruise boat that was carrying around 40 passengers overturned due to a sudden storm and gusty winds on Thursday evening.

On getting information, officials of the district administration, police, and rescuers from the State Disaster and Emergency Response Force (SDERF) rushed to the spot and launched a massive rescue operation.

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According to Bargi CSP Anjul Ayank Mishra, prompt response from rescuers succeeded in saving the lives of 15 persons. But four passengers of the boat were confirmed dead with their bodies recovered while around 18 persons were still missing even as the rescuers tried to search for them.

The daily evening boat cruise near the Khamariya island in the Narmada river backwaters is a major tourist attraction at the Bargi dam reservoir.

However, today evening a sudden storm occurred during the cruise. As the storm intensified, the boat lost stability against the rising waves and overturned, plunging dozens of tourists into the deep waters of the reservoir.