The Madhya Pradesh government has initiated strict action against officials and staff following the deadly cruise capsize at Bargi Reservoir in Jabalpur that claimed nine lives, with Chief Minister Mohan Yadav saying the guilty “will not be spared under any circumstances”.
Using the tragedy as the basis for disciplinary action, the state government announced terminations, suspensions and an inquiry into alleged negligence in the handling of the cruise operation.
Cruise Pilot, Staff Terminated; Officials Face Action
According to the Chief Minister’s statement, the services of cruise pilot Mahesh Patel, cruise helper Chhotelal Gond, and ticket counter in-charge (FOA) Brijendra have been terminated with immediate effect.
जबलपुर में बरगी जलाशय में हुए दुखद क्रूज हादसे में लापरवाही के मामले में दोषियों पर सख्त कार्रवाई की गई है।
क्रूज पायलट महेश पटेल, क्रूज हेल्पर छोटेलाल गोंड एवं टिकट काउंटर प्रभारी (FOA) बृजेंद्र की सेवाएं तत्काल प्रभाव से समाप्त की गई हैं।
होटल मैकल रिसॉर्ट और बोट क्लब बरगी के…
— Chief Minister, MP (@CMMadhyaPradesh) May 1, 2026
Hotel McL Resort and Boat Club Bargi manager Sunil Marawi has been suspended for negligence in duty.
Regional manager Sanjay Malhotra has been attached to headquarters and a departmental inquiry has been initiated against him.
Expressing condolences to the victims, the Chief Minister said the government is committed to providing all possible assistance.
Survivors Allege Serious Safety Lapses
The action comes after survivors of the tragedy alleged major lapses in safety arrangements and negligence by the cruise crew.
One survivor said, “My son and wife are missing. I got hurt when the mirror on the cruise boat broke after hitting a wave. The staff did not provide us with life jackets; we arranged them and distributed them ourselves …”
Another survivor, Sangeeta Kori from Delhi, alleged passengers were not asked to wear life jackets before the cruise began.
“No one was made to wear life jackets beforehand. When water started entering, they hurriedly distributed them, which caused chaos and people started snatching them. Then the cruise capsized. There was a lot of negligence. The pilot of the boat wasn’t listening at all. People from the village were shouting and signaling him to bring the cruise to a safer side, but he kept going the same way, which caused it to overturn suddenly. My brother broke open the storeroom and quickly threw life jackets to people,” she said.
Warnings Were Allegedly Ignored
Another survivor claimed repeated warnings were given by locals to move the vessel to safety as weather conditions deteriorated.
“We were all sitting properly when suddenly strong winds started blowing, and heavy waves began rising. People from the nearby village were also warning the cruise operator to move towards the side as the weather had turned bad…But before anything could be done, water entered and the cruise overturned,” the survivor said.
Questions Raised Over Weather Alert Compliance
The incident has also triggered questions over administrative oversight, with allegations that the cruise was allowed to operate despite a yellow alert issued by the India Meteorological Department warning of strong winds in the region.
Critics have pointed to this as a possible lapse in enforcing safety restrictions.
Tourism Minister Orders Probe
Tourism Minister Dharmendra Lodhi said life jackets are provided on the cruise and that there are regulations mandating passengers to wear them.
“Life jackets are provided on the cruise, and there is a clear provision requiring passengers to wear them. Now that allegations are being made, we will conduct an investigation to find out what led to this lapse. If any negligence is found, strict action will be taken against those responsible. This is truly a very tragic incident. Such incidents deeply move and shake us from within. It is important to ensure that incidents like this do not happen in the future. We will exercise full caution and set up an inquiry team to conduct a thorough investigation. If anyone is found negligent, the strictest possible action will be taken,” he said.
Nine Dead In Bargi Dam Capsize
The cruise carrying around 30 people capsized in the Narmada backwaters at Bargi Dam on Thursday evening during a leisure outing amid sudden strong winds.
Nine people died in the accident, while several others were reported missing.
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