A survivor of the deadly cruise accident at Bargi Dam has alleged that the vessel’s pilot and crew abandoned passengers moments before it sank, leaving them without guidance or basic safety support.
Advocate Roshan Anand Verma, who was travelling with nine family members, said conditions were calm when they boarded. However, midway through the reservoir, strong winds suddenly picked up, creating large waves that began hitting the boat. Water soon started entering the vessel, triggering panic.
Verma claimed that no life jackets were distributed at the start of the journey. As the situation worsened, he alleged that the pilot and crew jumped into the water to save themselves, leaving passengers to fend for themselves. Acting quickly, Verma said he rushed to the lower deck, retrieved life jackets, and began distributing them—but the boat sank rapidly, giving many little time to wear them.
He confirmed that all members of his family survived.
So far, nine deaths have been confirmed and six people remain missing. Mohan Yadav visited the site on Friday and ordered a high-level probe as rescue operations continued. Authorities still do not have a confirmed count of how many people were on board.
Administrative action has been taken against several staff members. Cruise pilot Mahesh Patel, helper Chhotelal Gond, and ticket in-charge Brijendra have been removed from service. Sunil Maravi, manager of Hotel Maikal Resort and Boat Club Bargi, has been suspended, while MPTDC regional manager Sanjay Malhotra has been attached to headquarters pending a departmental inquiry.
The pilot, Mahesh Patel, maintained that the weather changed suddenly. “Safety measures were in place, but the storm was severe. The cruise went out of control and there was no time to react,” he said.
Officials reported that 28 people have been rescued so far. Bodies were recovered in phases—four on Thursday evening and five more on Friday. The deceased include eight women and one child.
Authorities said the lack of a verified passenger list has complicated rescue efforts. While tickets were issued to only 29 passengers, CCTV footage suggests around 43 people may have boarded, raising concerns that several were travelling without tickets.
The accident occurred about 300 metres from the shore, when winds of up to 74 kmph struck the area. The vessel began to tilt and sank quickly.
Rescue teams from the SDRF, NDRF, Army, and para commandos have been deployed, with divers continuing search operations. The sunken cruise vessel was retrieved from the reservoir on Friday afternoon.
The state government has constituted a committee of senior officials to investigate the cause of the accident and review safety protocols. The chief minister also met survivors during his visit.
Among those confirmed dead are Neetu Soni (43), Soubhagyam Alagan (42), Madhur Massey (62), Kakulazhi (38), Reshma Syed (66), Shamim Naqvi (68), Marina Massey (39), her four-year-old son Trishan, and Jyoti Sen.
Those still missing include several children, while the identities of two individuals are yet to be confirmed.
