The death toll in the Bargi dam cruise disaster rose to 11 on Saturday, as rescuers retrieved two more bodies, both children, from the reservoir in central Madhya Pradesh. The incident has sparked sharp scrutiny over ignored wind warnings.
Wind Warnings Ignored
The cruise, operated by MT Tourism, was launched on Thursday evening despite forecasts of winds reaching 50 kmph, far above the recommended ceiling of 25-30 kmph for water sports. Wind speeds later surged to nearly 74 kmph. Officials have faced criticism for proceeding despite the warnings.
Safety Practices Elsewhere
In contrast, water sports at Lower Lake in Bhopal were suspended the same day due to strong wind alerts. National water sports coach Mayank Thakur stated that he halts operations even at 20-22 kmph, emphasizing that every athlete's life is precious. Prashant Kushwaha, linked to the International Canoe Federation, underscored that no meteorological warnings are taken lightly, and boats are prohibited if wind speeds exceed safety standards.
Negligence Allegations
An anonymous tourism department employee alleged a pattern of neglect, saying weather inputs are often not consulted before launching boats. The employee noted that cruise boats are generally safe if rules are followed. Repeated attempts to reach senior tourism officials for comment drew no response.
Victims and Search Operations
The latest victims were identified as four-year-old Viraj Soni and five-year-old Tamil. Their bodies were pulled from the reservoir at Bargi Dam, about 40 km southwest of Jabalpur and 300 km east of Bhopal. Four people remain missing as search operations entered a third day.
More than 200 personnel from police, SDRF, NDRF, and the Army continued combing the waters, battling strong winds and poor visibility. Bargi sub-divisional police officer Anjul Ayank Mishra confirmed the recovery, bringing the toll to eight women and three children.
Investigation Details
CCTV footage showed 43 people boarding the cruise. Twenty-eight were rescued the same night. Rescue teams retrieved four bodies on Thursday, five on Friday, and two on Saturday. Families have been deeply affected, with six members of the Soni family from Darhai village on board. Four survived, while Nisha Soni's body was found earlier and her son Viraj was among those retrieved Saturday. In another case, Tamil boarded with his father and cousin, both still missing. Relatives hold out hope as divers widen the search grid.
Authorities stated that operations will continue until all missing passengers are accounted for.
