Jabalpur cruise accident: Mother-child image goes viral, why life jackets didn't save them

Nine tourists were killed after a cruise boat capsized in the Bargi Dam reservoir of the Narmada River in Jabalpur on April 30. The boat, operated by the Madhya Pradesh Tourism Department, capsized after a sudden storm. As per reports, a few tourists from the boat are still missing, and rescue operations are still going on. Apparently, the boat was carrying around 43 passengers. The last recovered bodies after the incident was that of a mother and son, who were both wearing life jackets. They were Marina Massey, 39, and her 4-year-old son, Trishaan, from Delhi, who were in MP on vacation. Meanwhile, Marina's husband, Pradeep and daughter, Siya, survived, reports TOI. 

Why didn't life jackets help them
According to officials, Marina and Trishaan may have got trapped under the boat before they could find an exit. The final positioning of the bodies indicates that Marina attempted to create an air buffer around Trishaan as they rapidly collapsed. The child was found pressed against the mother's chest, even when the rescue officials brought them outside the water. They also noted that there were no life jackets specifically for children on the cruise boat. Meanwhile, a mother-child image has been going viral, like the one from the accident. Authorities said that it is an AI image. 

Many survivors also alleged negligence and safety lapses, such as tourists not being given enough life jackets on the boat. The state government has ordered a probe into the incident and has sacked three members of the boat's crew. The state government has also banned the operation of such vessels in the state. 

Prime Minister Narendra Modi also condoled the tragedy and announced an ex gratia of Rs 2 lakh from the PM National Relief Fund (PMNRF) for the next of kin of the deceased and Rs 50,000 for the injured. Modi, in a post on 'X', said, "The loss of lives due to the capsizing of a boat in Jabalpur, Madhya Pradesh, is extremely painful. I extend my condolences to those who have lost their loved ones in this tragic mishap. Praying for the speedy recovery of the injured. The local administration is assisting those affected."

According to eyewitnesses, strong winds made the water choppy, prompting many on board to raise an alarm and ask the crew to steer the boat back to the riverbank. However, the crew was unable to hear these shouts, and the boat drifted and then overturned, they said, adding that some locals rescued a few passengers wearing life jackets using a rope. A survivor alleged crew negligence and described a last-minute scramble for life jackets. 

Talking to PTI Videos, Delhi-resident Sangeeta Kori, who was among those rescued, claimed the vessel was carrying nearly 40 people - including children without tickets - and that the driver ignored warnings from locals to steer toward safety as the weather suddenly changed.
'Jabalpur boat cruise' has more than 50K search volume on Google Trends in the past 20 hours. 
(With PTI inputs)