Jabalpur Tragedy: Helmsman says he ‘jumped last’ as toll hits 11
Jabalpur Tragedy: Helmsman says he ‘jumped last’ as toll hits 11
Helmsman Mahesh Patel defends his actions after the Bargi Dam cruise boat capsized, as divers recover two children and the toll climbs to 11, with remaining passengers missing and weather concerns ongoing.
Divers recovered the bodies of two children from Bargi Dam on Saturday evening, raising the death toll from the Narmada Queen capsize to 11, as the boat’s helmsman broke his silence to defend himself against mounting criticism — saying he had jumped only after all passengers had done so and was just 50 to 60 metres from shore when the vessel went down. NDRF and other rescue personnel recovered the cruise boat that capsized in Bargi Dam due to a sudden storm in Jabalpur district of Madhya Pradesh on Thursday. One of the children was identified as six-year-old Viraj Soni; the second remained unidentified. City superintendent of police Anjul Mishra confirmed that three people — a woman, a man, and one unidentified individual — are still missing. Divers recovered the bodies of two children around 6pm on Saturday, he said. Helmsman Mahesh Patel, who faces termination and has been at the centre of public criticism since the accident, gave his first account of the capsize on Saturday. “I am shocked people are blaming me. I jumped only after all passengers had jumped,” he said, adding that he had alerted the Boat Club control room when conditions worsened. Also Read | Bargi Dam tragedy: Bodies of mother, son found in final embrace Patel, who said he has 20 years of experience, maintained that he had asked passengers to wear life-jackets and tried to secure the vessel as the storm hit. “I ferried the boat six times a day for years. I never saw such an incident. It was nature’s fury,” he said. He added that he has been unable to sleep or eat since the tragedy. The IMD had issued a yellow alert for thunderstorms in Jabalpur district for Thursday — a forecast, survivors said, that should have kept the boat ashore. Patel said some passengers were dancing when the boat began taking on water. “At that critical moment, I was unable to anchor it. We were just 50 to 60 metres from the shore when it capsized,” he said.
