Rescuers at Jabalpur boat tragedy site recovered the bodies of a mother and her young son, still locked in their final embrace.
In what became the most heart-wrenching image of the boat tragedy in Madhya Pradesh’s Jabalpur that claimed nine lives, rescuers on Friday recovered the bodies of a mother and her four-year-old son locked in a final hug.
The bodies of the woman and her child were pulled out of the water with a life jacket secured around them.
Family members gathered at the spot broke down upon witnessing the recovery, and state Cabinet Minister Rakesh Singh, who visited the site, was also visibly moved and struggled to hold back tears.
Nine people died and many are missing after a river cruise boat carrying around 30 passengers overturned in the Bargi dam reservoir after encountering a sudden storm on Thursday. Twenty two people have been rescued so far.
Rescue efforts are being carried out on a war footing, with teams from the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), along with local police and administration officials, deployed at the spot.
According to officials, strong winds lashed the reservoir around 6 pm on Thursday, turning the waters choppy. Eyewitnesses said passengers raised alarms and urged the crew to return to shore, but their cries went unheard as the boat drifted further before capsizing.
Some locals managed to rescue a few passengers using ropes, particularly those wearing life jackets. However, others drowned.
A survivor has alleged a lack of basic safety measures, claiming that all passengers were not provided with life jackets.
Minister Singh, who spoke to the media from the spot, said “the situation will be clear in some time” and “after the rescue operation concludes, it will be clear why people could not be saved even when they were wearing life jackets”.
Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav said earlier assured all possible assistance to affected families, saying “the state government stands with full sensitivity”, adding that efforts were underway to trace the missing.
