The death toll in the Narmada Queen capsize in Madhya Pradesh's Jabalpur rose to 11 on Saturday as divers recovered two bodies of children from the Bargi Dam. The boat's helmsman, Mahesh Patel, broke his silence and defended himself against accusations.
Patel said he alerted the Boat Club control room when the situation began to worsen and claimed he turned the boat around immediately after the winds started blowing. However, survivors alleged that their request to turn around was ignored.
Patel refuted the allegation and said he was the last one to jump from the boat. He also claimed that he called the reception desk, requesting that another boat be dispatched, warning them of an imminent accident.
Patel has 20 years of experience and has been ferrying the boat six times a day for years. He said he never saw such an incident and that it was nature's fury.
He also said that he had asked passengers to wear life jackets and even tried to secure the vessel as the storm hit. However, he claimed that even when the boat began taking on water, some passengers were dancing.
Patel expressed regret over the incident and said he had been unable to sleep or eat since the tragedy.
