Jabalpur Cruise Ship Tragedy: Three days after a cruise boat capsized in Madhya Pradesh, killing at least nine people, the vessel’s captain, Mahesh Patel, has spoken about the final moments, saying a sudden and violent storm gave them almost no time to react despite efforts to return to shore.
The Jabalpur Cruise Ship Tragedy, which happened during what began as a routine cruise outing on April 30, has left several families in grief and triggered a large search and rescue operation. Officials confirmed that nine bodies have been recovered so far, while 28 people were rescued soon after the accident. Some passengers are still feared missing, and search efforts are ongoing in the area.
#WATCH | Cruise boat capsize in Jabalpur | Cruise Pilot Mahesh Patel says, “…When I left, there was no thunderstorm; it was just a little windy. When it was time for us to return, the winds grew stronger. So, life jackets was provided to everyone. Suddenly, the winds grew even… pic.twitter.com/joHaeQLKWS
— ANI (@ANI) May 2, 2026
Jabalpur Cruise Ship Tragedy: Sudden Weather Change Turned Routine Trip Into Tragedy
Recounting what happened in Jabalpur Cruise Ship Tragedy, Patel said the cruise started under normal conditions. “I set out from here at 5:16 PM. When I started, there was no storm or anything. There were light waves like the ones right now,” he said.
However, around 20 minutes into the journey, he sensed a shift in the weather and decided to head back. “We had been out for 22 minutes and then I thought we should return. We were on our way back… the wind started blowing hard. I instructed the cruise staff to give everyone life jackets,” Patel said, adding that things worsened very quickly.
Jabalpur Cruise Ship Tragedy: Strong Winds, High Waves Made Escape Difficult
Patel explained that the situation got out of control within minutes as strong winds and high waves made it very hard to navigate. “It takes about 10 minutes to reach the shore, but the boat didn’t reach and it overturned. We tried our best… but the boat was not ready to reach any of the corners of the shore,” he said.
He also pointed out that not all passengers followed safety instructions even after life jackets were handed out. “Some people were dancing downstairs… my son told me they were not wearing life jackets. I went and told them that the weather had worsened and they should wear them,” he said.
Jabalpur Cruise Ship Tragedy: Chaos Onboard As Boat Took On Water
As conditions worsened, water began entering the boat quickly, leading to panic among passengers. “It is hard to say, maybe five to seven minutes. The waves came all of a sudden. It was submerged and then it capsized,” Patel said, describing the moment the vessel overturned.
He added that he was in the upper cabin at the time and managed to rescue a few children before escaping. “I pulled out three to four children… everyone was screaming. I was among the last to get out. It was very difficult,” he said.
Jabalpur Cruise Ship Tragedy: Captain Expresses Regret As Rescue Efforts Continue
Visibly shaken, Patel said he deeply regrets what happened. “I regret it 100 per cent… I haven’t eaten or slept for three days. I only see those children,” he said.
He also admitted that the rescue boat, which is usually present during such trips, was not there that day due to a lack of staff. However, he said the storm was so severe that even that might not have helped. “In such big waves, a rescue boat could have capsized itself,” he said.
Jabalpur Cruise Ship Tragedy: Multi-Agency Search Operation Still Underway
Meanwhile, SDOP Lokesh Dawar said search operations resumed early Saturday. “Rescue operation resumed around 6 am today. NDRF, SDRF and the Army teams are continuously carrying out the search operation. The diving team too is at it since morning. We have not received any information about any more bodies or survivors so far,” he said.
Teams from the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), and Army are continuing search operations in the water body and nearby areas. Divers are also carrying out underwater searches to locate those still missing. Officials said the incident is under investigation, focusing on safety measures, staffing, and weather preparedness, while also raising concerns about the absence of a rescue boat during the trip.
(With inputs from ANI)
Khalid Qasid is a media enthusiast with a strong interest in documentary filmmaking. He holds a Master’s degree in Convergent Journalism from AJK MCRC. He has also written extensively on esports at Sportsdunia. Currently, he covers world and general news at NewsX Digital.
