Jabalpur: The death toll in the Bargi Dam cruise boat tragedy has climbed to 13 after the bodies of a five-year-old boy and his uncle were recovered on Sunday morning from the reservoir in Madhya Pradesh’s Jabalpur district, police said.

The boat, approximately 20 years old and operated by the state tourism department, capsized during a storm on Thursday evening, triggering a large-scale rescue operation.

According to Bargi Sub-Divisional Officer of Police Anjul Ayank Mishra, the bodies of Mayuram (5) and his uncle Kamraj (around 50),an employee of the Ordnance Factory in Khamaria were found floating in the dam and later retrieved.

“All 13 missing persons have now been accounted for,” Mishra told PTI, adding that the bodies have been sent to a government hospital for post-mortem examination.

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A major search operation was carried out involving around 20 Army divers airlifted from Agra, along with personnel from the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) and local divers.

Police said that out of 41 identified passengers on board, 28 were rescued following the incident. However, CCTV footage from near the boarding point indicated that 43 people were seen heading towards the boat, though official confirmation of passenger identities stands at 41.

In the wake of the tragedy, the state government ordered a formal inquiry on Friday and dismissed three crew members. Authorities have also banned the operation of similar vessels across Madhya Pradesh as a precautionary measure.
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