- Delhi family’s trip for housewarming ends in tragedy.
- Cruise boat capsized in Narmada River due to winds.
What was meant to be a family trip for a housewarming ceremony in Madhya Pradesh ended in tragedy for a Delhi family after three of its six members died in a cruise boat capsize at the Bargi reservoir on the Narmada River, relatives said on Saturday.
The Massey family, from the Delhi Cantonment area, had travelled to Jabalpur earlier in the week. After attending the ceremony on Tuesday, they decided to spend a day sightseeing before returning home.
On Thursday evening, they boarded a cruise operated by the Madhya Pradesh Tourism Department at Bargi Dam, along with around 40 passengers. The vessel capsized after being hit by strong winds and rough waves. Marina Massey (39), her four-year-old son Trishan (also known as Jahan), and her mother, Madhur Massey (62), lost their lives. Marina’s husband Pradeep, their 14-year-old daughter Siya (Pihu), and her father Julius Massey (65) survived.
“My mother, father, sister, her children and brother-in-law had gone to Jabalpur for a housewarming function. They were to return to Delhi on Thursday and reach by Friday. Instead, they went sightseeing—and then this happened,” Marina’s brother Kuldeep Mohan told PTI.
What Mother Said In Her Last Video Call?
Recounting the moments before the tragedy, he said the family was on the upper deck when the weather suddenly turned. “My sister was on a video call with us, showing the view. Then everything changed. She kept crying, ‘Save me… save me…’ before the call disconnected,” he said.
As conditions worsened, waves intensified and the boat began to tilt. “Passengers rushed downstairs as the vessel shook violently and water started entering. My brother-in-law began searching for life jackets and distributing them,” Mohan added.
Amid the chaos, some passengers wore life jackets while others jumped into the water in panic. Local villagers reportedly helped rescue several people using ropes and basic equipment. Julius Massey was among those saved.
Survivors Rcount Boat Tragedy
Pradeep, who could swim, managed to rescue himself and his teenage daughter. However, when he tried to locate the rest of the family, they had already disappeared beneath the overturned vessel. “By the time he looked for my sister, her child and my mother, they were gone,” Mohan said.
Relatives have alleged serious negligence, claiming that no warning was issued despite a prior weather alert. “If people had been told the conditions were unsafe, no one would have boarded,” Mohan said, also questioning the absence of a permanent emergency response system at the tourist site.
Another relative, Sangeeta Kori, alleged that the boat was overcrowded and that villagers had tried to warn the operator to steer towards safer waters, but he ignored them. “Had he turned the boat, lives might have been saved. Instead, it capsized,” she said.
By Friday, five more bodies were recovered, taking the death toll to nine, while search operations continued for six missing persons. At least 28 people have been rescued so far.
Amid allegations of safety lapses, including delayed access to life jackets, the state government has ordered an inquiry and dismissed three crew members of the vessel.
