MP boat tragedy: Death toll climbs to 12; search on for one missing person

The death toll in the cruise boat tragedy at Bargi Dam in Jabalpur rose to 12 on Sunday after the body of a five-year-old boy was recovered, while rescue teams continued an intensive search for one missing person, police said.

The child, identified as Mayuram, was found in the reservoir early Sunday morning. Efforts are ongoing to locate Kamraj, around 50 years old, an employee of the Ordnance Factory in Khamaria, said Bargi police station house officer Neelesh Dohare.

“The body of the child has been fished out. Search is underway for the remaining missing person,” Dohare said.

The incident occurred on Thursday evening when a nearly 20-year-old boat, operated by the state tourism department, capsized during a sudden storm.

A large-scale rescue operation is underway, involving more than 200 personnel. Teams include divers from the army — around 20 of whom were airlifted from Agra — along with the National Disaster Response Force, State Disaster Response Force, and local divers.

Search efforts are focused on depths of 40–50 feet, covering a radius of nearly 5 km in the reservoir, officials said.

Of the 41 identified passengers on board the ill-fated vessel, 28 were rescued soon after the accident. However, CCTV footage from the boarding point showed 43 people heading towards the boat, raising questions about discrepancies in the passenger count.

The Madhya Pradesh government has ordered a probe into the tragedy. In immediate action, three crew members have been dismissed, and the operation of similar vessels across the state has been suspended pending safety reviews.

With one person still unaccounted for and questions mounting over safety lapses, the tragedy has triggered fresh scrutiny of tourist boat operations in the state.

With PTI inputs