Boat carrying 9 home guards sinks in Narmada; all survive thanks to life jackets
A Home Guard patrol boat carrying nine personnel sank in the Narmada at Jabalpur's Gwarighat after floating debris snagged its engine. All nine were rescued, and officials are investigating capacity concerns and possible operator fault.
A motorboat carrying nine Home Guard personnel sank in the Narmada River in Jabalpur's Gwarighat area after its engine became entangled in floating debris, triggering panic among those on board.
All nine personnel were rescued safely. While some managed to swim to safety, local boatmen helped rescue the others as the boat began sinking in the river's strong current.
BOAT ENGINE SNAGGED ON FLOATING DEBRIS
The incident occurred on Friday while a Home Guard team was patrolling the Narmada at Gwarighat after the gates of the Bargi Dam were opened.
Gwarighat police station house officer Kanhaiya Baghel told PTI that a floating piece of wood became entangled in the motorboat's engine, causing it to break down. The boat subsequently began sinking in the strong current, leading to panic among the personnel on board.
Some of the personnel swam towards safety, while local boatmen quickly came to the rescue of those who could not get out on their own.
OFFICIALS DENY BOAT WAS OVERLOADED
The incident also prompted questions over whether the motorboat was carrying more personnel than its capacity.
However, Baghel denied reports that the boat had a seating capacity of four but was carrying nine personnel. He said all the Home Guards on board were wearing life jackets when the incident occurred.
Home Guard District Commandant Neeraj Singh Thakur had earlier said the possibility of the boat carrying more personnel than its designated capacity would be examined. He had also said that, based on the initial assessment, the boat operator appeared to have been at fault.
Police and Home Guard officials are probing the incident, and further action will be taken after the investigation.
ALERT ISSUED AFTER BARGI DAM GATES OPENED
According to Thakur, an alert had been issued for the Narmada ghats after the Bargi Dam gates were opened, following which a Home Guard team was deployed at Gwarighat for patrolling.
A second motorboat is also being sent to Gwarighat for patrolling.
The submerged motorboat will be retrieved as part of the efforts following the incident.
JABALPUR BOAT ACCIDENT IN APRIL
The incident comes months after a cruise boat accident in Jabalpur's Bargi area on April 30, in which 13 people were killed.