‘Haven’t slept or eaten in three days; I solely see these kids’: Captain of ill-fated Narmada cruise | India Information

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‘Haven’t slept or eaten in three days; I solely see these kids’: Captain of ill-fated Narmada cruise | India Information

3 min learnBhopalUp to date: Could 3, 2026 07:45 AM IST

The our bodies of two extra kids had been recovered from Bargi Dam in Madhya Pradesh’s Jabalpur, officers stated on Saturday, taking the loss of life toll in Thursday’s cruise boat tragedy to 11.

The our bodies of a four-year-old little one and eight girls had been recovered by Friday, after the cruise boat capsized the earlier night amid unhealthy climate.

The kids whose our bodies had been recovered on Saturday had been six- and five-year-old boys. The moms of each had already been discovered lifeless. The daddy and cousin of one of many boys — the five-year-old — stay lacking.

The five-year-old and his household had been from Tamil Nadu. His father, Kamaraj, who was employed at an ordnance manufacturing unit, had been working in Jabalpur for a number of years. His family from Tamil Nadu’s Tiruppur district had come to go to him, and the household had gone on an outing on Thursday when the tragedy occurred.

Captain’s remorse

In the meantime, the captain of the cruise boat, Mahesh Patel, expressed remorse over the incident, saying, “I haven’t eaten or slept in three days. I solely see these kids.”

Patel is being investigated by a high-level committee arrange by the district administration to probe security violations and different lapses that will have led to the deaths. The inquiry is targeted on security protocols adopted aboard the cruise boat, together with whether or not life jackets had been supplied to passengers.

Patel stated that when the storm struck, he had “instructed the cruise employees to offer everybody life jackets”.

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Bargi river boat accident, Jabalpur cruise drowning, Jabalpur news, Madhya Pradesh boat capsize, Bargi dam rescue operation, storm causes boat accident India, Jabalpur district authorities, NDRF rescue Jabalpur, boat safety regulations MP, Bargi river casualties NDRF and different rescue personnel conduct an operation to recuperate the cruise boat, carrying 29 passengers and two crew members, that overturned in Bargi Dam attributable to a sudden storm, in Jabalpur district, Madhya Pradesh, Friday, Could 1, 2026. The loss of life toll rose to 9 and 28 others had been rescued after the incident. (PTI Picture)

“Some individuals had been dancing downstairs. My employees instructed me they weren’t sporting life jackets. I went and instructed them that the climate had worsened and they need to put on them,” he stated.

Survivors stated life jackets had been by no means distributed at the beginning of the journey and remained packed, some nonetheless sealed in bundles, till the scenario had already begun to spiral uncontrolled. Patel denied allegations that he was the primary to desert the vessel and claimed he “managed to drag out three or 4 kids earlier than others reached the location”.

The speedy set off for the tragedy throughout Thursday night’s cruise within the Bargi Dam reservoir space on the Narmada was a sudden and violent storm. At round 6 pm, when the boat neared Khamaria island, climate situations worsened sharply. Excessive-velocity winds churned the reservoir into tough waters.

Eyewitnesses on the banks started shouting and signalling to the operator to show again, however survivors say these warnings had been ignored.

Anand Mohan J

Anand Mohan J is an award-winning Senior Correspondent for The Indian Specific, presently main the bureau’s protection of Madhya Pradesh. With a profession spanning over eight years, he has established himself as a trusted voice on the intersection of regulation, inner safety, and public coverage.

Based mostly in Bhopal, Anand is well known for his authoritative reporting on Maoist insurgency in Central India. In late 2025, he supplied unique, ground-level protection of the historic give up of the ultimate Maoist cadres in Madhya Pradesh, detailing the backchannel negotiations and the “vacuum of command” that led to the state being declared Maoist-free.

Experience and Reporting Beats
Anand’s investigative work is characterised by a “Journalism of Braveness” method, holding establishments accountable by way of deep-dive evaluation of a number of key sectors:

Nationwide Safety & Counter-Insurgency: He’s a major chronicler of the decline of Naxalism within the Central Indian hall, documenting the tactical shifts of safety forces and the rehabilitation of surrendered cadres.

Judiciary & Authorized Accountability: Drawing on over 4 years of expertise masking Delhi’s trial courts and the Madhya Pradesh Excessive Courtroom, Anand deconstructs complicated authorized rulings. He has uncovered essential institutional lapses, together with custodial security violations and the misuse of the Nationwide Safety Act (NSA).

Wildlife Conservation (Challenge Cheetah): Anand is a number one reporter on Challenge Cheetah at Kuno Nationwide Park. He has supplied in depth protection of the organic and administrative hurdles of rewilding Namibian and South African cheetahs, in addition to high-profile instances of wildlife trafficking.

Public Well being & Social Security: His current investigative work has uncovered systemic negligence in public providers, comparable to contaminated blood transfusions inflicting HIV infections in thalassemia sufferers and the human value of the fertilizer disaster affecting rural farmers.

Skilled Background
Tenure: Joined The Indian Specific in 2017.

Areas: Transitioned from the high-pressure Delhi Metropolis beat (masking courts, police, and labor points) to his present function as a regional lead in Madhya Pradesh.

Notable Investigations: * Uncovered the “digital arrest” scams focusing on entrepreneurs.

Investigated the Bandhavgarh elephant deaths and the affect of kodo millet fungus on native wildlife.

Documented the transition of energy and welfare schemes (like Ladli Behna) in Madhya Pradesh governance.

Digital & Skilled Presence
Creator Profile: Anand Mohan J at Indian Specific

Twitter deal with: @mohanreports … Learn Extra

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