At least nine people lost their lives in a boat capsize accident in Madhya Pradesh’s Jabalpur, raising safety concerns around public amusement facilities and exposing grave administrative and management lapses. Over 30 revellers were on board the ill-fated boat when the tragedy struck them at Bargi Dam in the Narmada River backwaters on Thursday, leaving nine people dead and several others missing.
Following the incident, several before and after videos of the capsize have gone viral on social media, prompting huge public response and grief. One such video shows the boat wildly foundering amid gusty winds and strong river currents as the weather worsened.
The clip shows the cruise boat overturning, struggling to maintain its balance, before finally capsizing as those on the banks of the river filmed the event with their mobile cameras.
The boat completely disappeared and capsized in a matter of a few minutes.
MOMENTS BEFORE TRAGEDY STRUCK
Another video recorded just moments before the cruise boat capsized has also surfaced. The video shows tourists enjoying the cool weather and strong winds. Those on the boat had no idea of the danger looming nearby.
In the video, the passengers are seen enjoying the pleasant weather as strong winds blow over the water. The force of the wind can be clearly seen in the footage.
However, within minutes, the weather suddenly deteriorated, and the boat capsized, killing nine of them.
The footage also shows that none of the passengers were wearing life jackets at the time.
Some later put on life jackets, helping to save many more. Officials estimate that the use of safety equipment eventually resulted in the survival of around 25 people.
THE JABALPUR CRUISE CAPSIZE
The Jabalpur accident occurred on Thursday evening at the Bargi Dam on the Narmada River, where a sudden storm engulfed the entire area.
Caught in the surging waters and strong winds, the boat lost its balance and capsized. The death toll rose to nine after five more bodies were recovered from the capsized boat on Friday.
Rescue continued with teams from the Army, the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), and the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) searching the reservoir, while low visibility continued to hamper rescue efforts. Officials feared that more bodies might still be trapped within the wreckage of the boat.
According to eyewitnesses, the weather rapidly deteriorated, and strong winds caused the river to swell.
Several passengers reportedly signalled danger and pleaded with the boat crew to turn back, but their warnings were ignored, and the boat drifted before capsizing. Later, some locals used ropes to rescue passengers wearing life jackets.
Following this incident, the state government has banned the operation of other similar cruise boats and launched an investigation into the tragic accident.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed deep condolences over the incident, announcing financial assistance of Rs 2 lakh to the families of the deceased and Rs 50,000 to the injured from the Prime Minister’s National Relief Fund (PMNRF).
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Published On:
May 2, 2026 08:51 IST
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