Jabalpur tragedy: Helmsman breaks silence, says he ‘jumped last’ as toll hits 11

The tragic capsize of the Narmada Queen in Bargi Dam has cast a pall over Jabalpur, with the recovery of more bodies bringing the toll to 11. This disaster, attributed to a sudden storm, has left families in grief and raised urgent questions about safety protocols.

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I am shocked people are blaming me. I jumped only after all passengers had jumped.

The helmsman, Mahesh Patel, has broken his silence, asserting his innocence and stating he acted responsibly. He claims to have alerted authorities as conditions worsened and that he only abandoned the vessel after all passengers had jumped, finding himself mere metres from the shore when the boat went down. His account, backed by 20 years of experience, points to an unforeseen 'nature's fury' as the cause.

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I ferried the boat six times a day for years. I never saw such an incident. It was nature’s fury.

However, survivors' accounts and the ongoing recovery efforts paint a grim picture. Questions linger about the timely distribution of life jackets and whether the yellow alert for thunderstorms issued by the IMD should have kept the boat docked. The recovery of bodies, including that of a mother and son, underscores the devastating impact of this incident, with arrangements now being made to repatriate victims to their homes in Tamil Nadu and Delhi. The Hindustan Times continues to follow this developing story, providing updates on the search for the missing and the investigation into the circumstances surrounding the tragedy.

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Divers recovered the bodies of two children around 6pm on Saturday.