Jabalpur, 1 May

An unplanned excursion to Madhya Pradesh's Bargi Dam turned into a nightmare for Delhi-resident Sangeeta Kori, who watched her family members disappear into the reservoir after their cruise boat capsized amid a sudden storm and a chaotic, last-minute scramble for life jackets.

Talking to PTI Videos, Kori, who was among the 28 rescued, claimed that the vessel was carrying nearly 40 people — including childrenwithout tickets — and that the driver ignored warnings from locals to steer toward safety.

According to officials, a cruise boat with 29 passengers and two crew members on-board overturned in the reservoir in Jabapur after encountering a sudden storm on Thursday evening.

"Six of us had come from Delhi to visit Jabalpur. Around 4pm, we decided on a whim to go to Bargi Dam. Around 6 pm, the cruise was returning when the winds became strong, and water started entering the boat," Kori said with tears in her eyes.

According to her, lack of preparedness and negligence led to the tragedy. "None of the passengers had worn life jackets. They were just kept somewhere inside. When the water started filling, they tried to distribute them, but it led to panic and scuffles. Within moments, the boat tipped over," she said.

Kori, who managed to survive by grabbing a jacket in the chaos, alleged that the operator’s greed for money had outweighed passenger safety. Three members of the family managed to get out, while one died and two are still missing, she said.

"Locals were shouting from the bank and signalling the operator to steer the boat to safety, but he didn't listen. He seemed inexperienced," she said, adding that the tragedy could have been averted if the boat had been diverted in time.