Toll from Madhya Pradesh cruise boat capsize rises to 9; rescue op continues

Another survivor, Prateek Kumar, alleged safety lapses, stating life jackets were handed out only after the cruise began capsizing. He said his wife and mother-in-law were still missing.

A 14-year-old survivor said no one had life jackets; her relatives saved her by breaking open a locker to obtain them, while villagers saved others including her grandfather. She described how her mother attempted to put a jacket on her brother as waves surged, and later their bodies were found. Police recovered the bodies of her mother, brother, and grandmother.

Authorities said they want to rule out the possibility that missing persons are trapped inside the vessel.

Chief minister Mohan Yadav was expected to arrive in Jabalpur at 4 pm to oversee the rescue operation.

Officials said the bodies of eight women and a child were recovered from the reservoir, nearly 35 km from Jabalpur.

The toll rose to nine, with 28 passengers rescued. Officials said tickets had been issued for 29 passengers, while survivors claimed 43-45 people were on board.

Hydraulic machinery and excavators were deployed to retrieve the submerged vessel, which was reported to be about 20 feet underwater.

Rescue operations resumed on Friday with the arrival of an army team, a helicopter from Hyderabad, and a special paramilitary unit from Kolkata to bolster search efforts.

A tourist cruise boat capsized in the Bargi dam reservoir on the Narmada river in Madhya Pradesh during a storm. Rescue operations were underway, but the initial toll was not specified in the report.