Bhopal/Jabalpur, May 2 (IANS) Rescue operations at the Bargi Dam reservoir in Jabalpur district intensified on Saturday as specialised teams worked tirelessly to locate four individuals still missing following the devastating cruise boat accident on Thursday evening.

While nine people are confirmed dead, four more people are still missing. Of them, according to police, three are children and one is an adult.

Speaking to IANS, Anjul Ayank Mishra, City Superintendent of Police, Bargi zone said, “As of now the police have registered “merg” (intimation report under Section 174 of CrPC) in the case and only after the recovery of all bodies would further investigation be initiated. First, all bodies need to be recovered.”

Two days after the boat, with 41 passengers on board, capsized in the Narmada River backwaters, the search perimeter has been significantly widened to cover a five km radius downstream.

Army divers alongside personnel from disaster response agencies are leading the high stakes effort to find a man and three children who have not been seen since the incident occurred on Thursday evening.

The tragedy, which has already claimed nine lives, sent shockwaves through the region. Of the 41 passengers identified as being on board the ill-fated boat at the time of the accident, 28 were successfully pulled out from the water in the immediate aftermath.

The survivors are now providing crucial accounts of the moments leading up to the boat overturning.

While the primary focus remains on the recovery mission, a legal investigation is also gathering pace.

“Once all bodies are recovered an investigation will be launched and an FIR will be registered in the matter,” the officer said.

This legal filing is expected to scrutinise the safety protocols in place at the time of the boat accident and determine if negligence or technical failure played a role in the high death toll.

The investigation will likely look into the capacity of the boat and whether life-saving equipment was readily available to all passengers.

Meanwhile, the families of the missing wait for news near the banks. Despite the challenging conditions and the scale of the backwaters, the joint task force of military and civilian rescuers continues to navigate the deep waters.

With the search area now stretching deep into the reservoir, the operation remains the top priority for Jabalpur district officials.

–IANS

sktr/rad