Bad weather, no life jacket: Video shows tourists enjoying before Jabalpur tragedy

A video recorded moments before a cruise boat capsized in Madhya Pradesh's Jabalpur shows tourists enjoying cool weather and strong breezes, unaware of the danger building around them.

The visuals, now circulating widely on social media, capture passengers soaking in the pleasant conditions as gusty winds sweep across the water. The force of the wind is evident in the footage. Within minutes, however, the weather turned hostile, and the vessel overturned, killing nine passengers onboard.

The footage shows that none of the passengers was wearing a life jacket at that point.

Some managed to put them on later, a move that helped save several lives. Officials estimate that around 25 people survived due to the use of safety gear.

The accident occurred on Thursday evening at the Bargi Dam on the Narmada River, where a sudden storm lashed the area. The boat, caught in rough waters and strong winds, lost balance and capsized.

The death toll rose to nine on Friday after five more bodies were recovered from the submerged vessel. At least six people remain missing. So far, 28 passengers have been rescued.

Rescue operations are ongoing, with teams from the Army, National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), and State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) searching the reservoir. Low visibility continued to hamper efforts, with officials suspecting that more bodies could still be trapped inside the wreckage.

Deputy Inspector General Atul Singh said the sunken vessel will be retrieved only after ensuring no one remains inside. He added that local construction workers were among the first responders and played a crucial role in evacuating survivours.

Eyewitnesses said the weather deteriorated rapidly, with strong winds making the water choppy. Several passengers reportedly raised alarms and urged the crew to turn back, but their warnings went unheard as the boat drifted before capsizing. Some locals later helped rescue passengers wearing life jackets using ropes.

Madhya Pradesh Tourism Minister Dharmendra Bhav Singh Lodhi confirmed that four bodies were recovered on Thursday and five more during early Friday operations. He said a detailed probe has been ordered, including an investigation into alleged lapses in the use of life jackets.

Following the incident, the state government has suspended the operation of similar cruise vessels and initiated an inquiry into the tragedy.

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Narendra Modi condoled the tragedy and announced an ex-gratia of Rs 2 lakh from the PM National Relief Fund (PMNRF) for the next of kin of the deceased and Rs 50,000 for the injured.

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