‘Mother held my hand, then it slipped away’:Survivors recount horror of Jabalpur cruise tragedy

A tragic cruise accident at Bargi Dam in Jabalpur has left families shattered, with survivors recounting chilling moments of panic, loss, and helplessness. The incident, which occurred on Thursday evening, has claimed nine lives, while four people remain missing. Some families are still searching for their loved ones, while others are left with only memories and grief. Survivors describe their escape as nothing short of a miracle, but their accounts reveal the sheer terror of that evening. “We saw death up close,” says survivor Roshan Anand Roshan Anand, who was onboard the cruise with seven family members, described the ordeal with deep emotion. “As soon as the cruise overturned, I somehow managed to get out with my wife. We kept searching for our child for three and a half hours. We had almost lost hope, but then we found him. Today is his birthday—we will never forget this day,” he said, his eyes filled with tears. While his immediate family survived, not everyone was as fortunate. Thirteen-year-old Siya lost her mother, younger brother, and grandmother in the same incident. Passengers say staff failed to help According to survivors, there were around 45–50 people onboard, many of them women and children. The weather was initially calm but turned violent during the return journey. “The storm came suddenly. First there was slight movement, then waves grew stronger. Within minutes, the situation went out of control,” said Roshan. Passengers seated on the upper deck were asked to move below, where a few staff members were present. However, survivors allege that no assistance was provided. “We took out life jackets ourselves and helped others wear them. If we hadn’t done that, perhaps no one would have survived,” he added. Delayed rescue cost precious lives As the cruise began taking in water, panic spread rapidly. Roshan recalled struggling to stay afloat after falling into the water. “I used all my strength to come up. I managed to get out with my wife and an 11-year-old child. But there was chaos everywhere. We kept shouting for help, but the rescue boat arrived late. If it had come even half an hour earlier, many more lives could have been saved.” He added that his younger son, who was not wearing a life jacket, was found safe after hours of searching. “Honestly, I have seen death from very close and returned,” he said. 13-year-old Siya loses mother, brother, grandmother Siya, a 13-year-old girl from Delhi, had come to Jabalpur with her family for summer vacation. What was meant to be a joyful outing turned into a nightmare. It was the last cruise shift of the day around 5:30 p.m. Initially, passengers were enjoying music and dancing to Bollywood songs. Suddenly, strong winds lashed the area, and waves in the dam rose like those of the sea. Water reached the upper deck, and the cruise began to sway dangerously. “Life jackets were kept inside a cabin, but the staff didn’t distribute them. Some people took them out themselves,” Siya said. “My mother tied my younger brother Trishan to herself with a life jacket. My grandfather had already fallen outside. I kept praying to God…” Siya spent the entire night hoping her mother and brother would survive. But the next morning, their bodies were found—clinging to each other. The tragedy took away her mother, younger brother, and grandmother. Taniska’s pain: ‘My mother’s hand slipped away’ Another survivor, Taniska, is struggling to cope with the loss of her mother. Her family had come from Patan to visit Bargi Dam. Six members, including her parents, sibling, uncle, and another relative, boarded the cruise. “The atmosphere was cheerful, music was playing. Then suddenly, a storm hit, and the cruise lost control,” she recalled. “We were all on the upper deck. My father told everyone to hold hands. He held my brother and uncle, while my mother held us. Then the cruise overturned.” Taniska described scenes of chaos and helplessness. “People were screaming. No one could swim. It felt like something was pulling us down,” she said. She was rescued by emergency teams, but her mother, Jyoti Sen, could not be saved. Entire families torn apart The tragedy has devastated multiple families. Kamraj, an employee at the Khamaria Ordnance Factory, was onboard with relatives who had come from Tamil Nadu. Nine members of the family boarded the cruise. In the incident, his wife Kakulzhi and sister-in-law Saubhagyam lost their lives. Kamaraj and his son Sri Tamil are still missing, while another relative, Sri Mayuram, has also not been found. Perhaps the most heartbreaking detail is that Kamaraj’s elderly parents had stayed back on shore. They watched helplessly as their family struggled in the water, unable to do anything.