5 of Tiruchy family dead in MP boat tragedy

CHENNAI: At least five members of a family from Tiruchy were feared dead in the boat accident that occurred on Thursday evening at the Bargi Dam in Jabalpur district, Madhya Pradesh.

The five have been identified as Kamaraj (38), his wife Karkuzhali (38), and their younger son Tamilventhan (11), his sister-in-law and her son. Kamaraj's other son Bhuvindran was rescued.

Kamaraj, who had completed an apprenticeship at the Ordnance Factory in Tiruchirappalli, had joined an ordnance factory in Madhya Pradesh a year ago.

According to reports, a group of 40 people, including Kamaraj, his family, and relatives from Tiruppur and Dharapuram, had gone on a pleasure ride at the Bargi Dam. The boat capsized, killing nine people. Until Friday, a search was on for six passengers who remained missing.

Rescue teams have so far recovered the bodies of Karkuzhali and the sister-in-law. However, the bodies of Kamaraj and two children have yet to be found.

The Madhya Pradesh government has ordered a probe into the tragedy that raised questions about safety lapses.

As many as 28 tourists were rescued, while teams from the Army, NDRF (National Disaster Response Force) and SDRF (State Disaster Response Force) intensified their search for the missing persons in the dam reservoir.