Rescue Operations Begin in MP To Save Cruise Capsize Victims
Mother Clings to 4-Year-Old Son, in Final Hug, One-Year-Old Survive Miraculously
Bhopal: The rescue and search operation launched in the Bargi reservoir in Madhya Pradesh’s Jabalpur district following Thursday’s cruise vessel tragedy has unfolded a heart-wrenching sight of a mother clutching her four-year-old son before meeting the watery grave as well as the miraculous survival of a one-year-old kid.
The Agra-based divers, deployed in the rescue operation, described how they spotted the woman inside the vessel, sunk in the reservoir following a sudden inclement weather, and found it challenging to bring her outside.
“We spotted the woman inside the vessel and tried to bring her out, thinking that she may be alive. But she appeared to be stuck. Later, we discovered that she clutched her son tightly under a life jacket. Both mother and her son were found dead, clinging to each other when they were brought out. It was a heart-rending sight. We were deeply moved by it”, one of the divers said with a choking voice.
Even the onlookers broke down when the ‘inseparable’ bodies of mother and son were brought ashore on Friday morning.
The two deceased were part of a family of four which came all the way from Delhi to enjoy the cruise ride in the serene and scenic Bargi reservoir on the mighty Narmada on the fateful day, officials said.
The two survivors of the family are the father and daughter, officials said.
A survivor, identified as Roshan Anand, narrated how a youth started distributing life jackets to the tourists when the vessel began sinking after the sudden storm accompanied by rains lashed the reservoir.
The youth was carrying a kid. He later handed over the kid to his sister. But the child was later found missing.
The child was found in a hospital in Jabalpur around two hours later.
Some survivors present on the shore could not explain how the kid was rescued and taken to the hospital.
Another survivor, ten-year-old Brunda Verma, described how some of the tourists aboard the vessel were singing hymns and praying to God to save them.
A sudden storm hit the area, leading the cruise vessel to sink, leaving at least nine tourists to drown.
As many as 29 tourists were rescued, while four others were still missing till the reports came last.
The vessel, acquired in 2006, was operated by the state tourism department, according to the local tourism department officer Jogendra Richharia.
