A mother and her four-year-old son died Thursday after the cruise boat they were on overturned in the Narmada River, near Madhya Pradesh’s Bargi Dam. Rescuers found their bodies this morning, the mother clutching the child to her chest in a desperate attempt to save him.
They were part of a family of four tourists from Delhi. The father and daughter managed to escape the horrific accident that has claimed nine lives, so far.
Another man told NDTV his wife, mother-in-law, and grandson “disappeared from sight in the blink of an eye” when the weather suddenly worsened and a strong storm started blowing. “The boat was becoming unbalanced and, in no time, started filling up with water,” he said.
“No one could understand what was happening. There was screaming… the boat was sinking and people were crying for help,” he said. “I was also drowning. It seemed I was going to die.”
Then, the man, Syed Riyaz Hussain, told NDTV, a ‘miracle’ happened.
“As I was underwater and fighting to survive, I was stuck in a spot where only my head was above water. I was able to breathe but I was trapped for nearly two hours. I could see bodies floating past me. Fortunately, rescue teams spotted me and I was saved.”
Authorities have saved 24 people as of Friday morning, news agency IANS said. Of those rescued, 17 have been hospitalised and nine others, including five children are still missing.
Hussain’s family are among those still missing.
Teams of search and rescue personnel – local police and district officials, and from the State Disaster Response Force – have been deployed and are working urgently to save the others.
The cruise captain, Mahesh Patel, who had a life jacket, survived.