Cruise sinks in Jabalpur, 9 bodies found so far:22 saved, army takes over rescue; more bodies feared in wreckage

A cruise operated by the Tourism Department sank in the Bargi Dam on Thursday evening after being caught in a sudden storm. So far, nine bodies have been recovered, while 22 people have been rescued safely. According to the administration, more than 15 people are still missing. Reports said around 40 to 45 tourists were on board at the time of the accident. The mishap occurred about 300 meters from the dam shore. Anjul Mishra said the SDRF rescued several people in the initial operation, but darkness and bad weather hampered relief work. Rescue operations resumed on Friday morning. Army and special teams join rescue efforts Considering the seriousness of the incident, national-level teams have now been deployed along with the local administration. The Indian Army has joined the rescue operation. A special team and helicopter have been dispatched from Hyderabad, while a paramilitary special team from Kolkata has reached Jabalpur. Efforts are underway to pull out the cruise that is trapped in 20 feet of water using hydraulic machines and pincers. Cruise pilot says there was no time to react The cruise pilot, Mahesh, who has 10 years of experience, said safety arrangements were in place, but the storm struck so suddenly that no one had time to react or even put on life jackets. The powerful storm made the cruise uncontrollable within moments. Family of 15 from Khamaria was onboard Kamraj Arya, an employee of the A3 section at Ordnance Factory Khamaria, had gone for an outing with 15 family members. His parents were with the group but remained seated near the dam shore. Kamraj’s wife, sister-in-law, and children had gone on the cruise ride with him. Kamraj is originally from Karnataka. One of his sons has been rescued, while Kamraj, his wife, and another son are still missing. Four victims identified: The identification process of the remaining bodies is still underway. Tourism official says cruise is 20 years old Tourism Department official Yogendra Richhariya said one cruise has been operating at Bargi Dam. It was built in 2006 and has a capacity of 60 passengers. Another cruise is currently out of service. Administration releases list Missing persons Rescued survivors