Tamil Nadu family loses 5 in Jabalpur tragedy:Mother, father, brother dead; 10-year-old survives with help of rope

Several members of a family from Tamil Nadu drowned after a cruise boat overturned in Bargi Dam in Jabalpur. Of the seven family members on board, only 10-year-old Poovitharan and his 12-year-old cousin survived safely. Three bodies have been recovered so far, while the search is still on for two others. Kamaraj, originally from Trichy, Tamil Nadu, was posted as a machinist at the Ordnance Factory in Jabalpur. He had gone to Bargi Dam with his in-laws, younger brother, sister-in-law and daughter, who had come to spend holidays with the family. Earlier in the day, they visited Bhedaghat and enjoyed a ropeway ride before reaching Bargi Dam Resort around 3.30 pm. Dainik Bhaskar spoke to 10-year-old survivor Poovitharan. Here is the full story of that terrifying moment, in his own words… An uncle came and saved his life by throwing a rope Recalling the horrifying incident, Poovitharan said the weather was completely clear in the beginning. A child’s birthday was even celebrated on the cruise. But while returning, strong winds suddenly picked up and the waves turned violent. According to Poovitharan, only children on the cruise were wearing life jackets. As the vessel began shaking badly, other passengers started putting on jackets too—but by then, it was too late. After the cruise overturned, Poovitharan struggled against the waves and somehow moved towards the shore. At that moment, a man threw a rope towards him and saved his life. Went to Trichy with grandparents After the accident, Poovitharan’s father, younger brother and cousin remain untraceable. On Saturday, the bodies of Kakulazhi and Saubhagyam were handed over to family members after post-mortem. With the help of the district administration, both bodies were sent to their native village by cargo aircraft. Ten-year-old Poovitharan also left for Trichy with his grandparents—now without his parents. Regional Manager said- Cruise was operating as per rules After the tragedy, Regional Manager of the Tourism Department Sanjay Malhotra, who has now been attached to headquarters, has been giving clarifications over the incident. He claimed everything was being operated according to rules. He said the cruise departed at 5.25 pm and was returning on the designated route when, at 6.10 pm, a sudden cyclone-like storm struck. Water waves rose rapidly. The captain tried hard to steer the cruise towards the shore, but could not succeed. Denying claims made by people on board, Malhotra said every passenger on the cruise was wearing a life jacket. He added that as soon as information about the incident was received, mini-cruises and boats were rushed to the spot, but strong waves made it impossible to control the vessel. According to Malhotra, the captain was fully trained and had been operating the same cruise for the last 10 years. Cruise fitness test not conducted after 2023 Regional Manager Sanjay Malhotra said he did not know when the cruise had last undergone a fitness inspection, saying records would have to be checked. However, sources said the cruise that sank on 30 April had last undergone a fitness test in 2023