MP boat tragedy: Survivor objects to dismantling of retrieved 20-year-old vessel

Jabalpur, May 4 (PTI) A survivor of the Bargi Dam boat tragedy in Madhya Pradesh’s Jabalpur district that claimed 13 lives has objected to authorities dismantling the salvaged vessel, stating the move hindered examination of its body line and structure.

Bargi City Superintendent of Police (CSP) Anjul Ayank Mishra stated that SDRF and NDRF teams cut the vessel into pieces to check if anyone remained trapped inside. He added that a technical team has taken the engine for examination.

The boat, operated by the state tourism department, capsized on April 30, killing 13 persons, including women and children, while 28 people were rescued.

Advocate Roshan Anand Kori, who survived the incident with nine members of his family, said on Monday that the boat

was intact when retrieved from the dam, and that authorities should have examined its engine and body line.

He claimed that destroying the vessel ended any possibility of inspecting its structural integrity.

The cruise boat model- catamaran hull of 2006- was dismantled on the shore two days ago.

Kori further claimed that the boat, which was around 20 years old, required material testing and checks on passenger safety arrangements. He added that authorities should have examined both the engine and body, and not just removed the engine for inspection.

The Madhya Pradesh government on Friday ordered a probe into the incident and dismissed three crew members. It also banned the operation of similar vessels in the state. PTI COR LAL NSK