‘Were inseparable, hugging tightly’: Diver recounts chilling moment mother, child found in MP
In a heart wrenching moment during rescue operations in Madhya Pradesh, divers recovered the body of a woman still clutching her child inside the capsized tourist boat in Bargi Dam, a scene that left even experienced rescuers shaken.
The recovery came as the death toll in the boat tragedy rose to nine on Friday. The incident occurred when a tourist cruise boat capsized in the reservoir on the Narmada river during a storm a day earlier.
Diver recounts haunting discovery
The Agra-based diving team said the operation was extremely challenging, with the vessel submerged in cramped, hazardous conditions that made access difficult.
Recalling the moment they reached the woman’s body, one of the divers said, “We were shocked to see the scene.” He added that the team initially faced “difficulty retrieving the body of the woman from the wreckage”.
When they looked closer, they realised why – the woman was “tightly hugging her child. They were inseparable, it was difficult to separate them. Our team was deeply moved by the scene,” the diver told news agency PTI.
Jagged iron rods and narrow spaces inside the wreck made movement difficult, forcing rescuers to use hammers to break small openings to access trapped sections.
In one instance, a diver narrowly escaped getting trapped while navigating the wreckage, the PTI report added.
Death toll rises, several still missing
Officials said the bodies of eight women and a child have been recovered so far from the reservoir, located around 35 km from Jabalpur. Rescue teams have managed to save 28 passengers, while four people are still reported missing.
Authorities said tickets had been issued for 29 passengers, but survivors claimed that the boat was carrying between 43 and 45 people at the time of the accident, raising concerns over possible overcrowding.
Rescue efforts resumed on Friday with reinforcements, including an army team, a helicopter from Hyderabad, and a special paramilitary unit from Kolkata.
Bargi police superintendent Anjul Mishra said, “Hydraulic machinery and excavators are being used to retrieve the submerged vessel, 20 feet underwater.”
Chief Minister Mohan Yadav is expected to visit Jabalpur later in the day.
