A letter sent nearly two months before the Bargi cruise tragedy allegedly warned officials of the Madhya Pradesh Tourism Development Corporation about serious technical defects in the cruise vessel that later sank near Jabalpur, killing 13 people.
The March 1 letter, reportedly written by the management of Maikal Resort, stated that the “Maikalsuta” cruise was “not fit to be launched into the water”.
Despite the warning, the vessel allegedly continued to operate and carry tourists until the April 30 accident at Bargi Dam.
When contacted, Jabalpur Collector Raghavendra Singh did not comment on the allegations.
Bargi cruise tragedy raises questions over safety oversight
Tourism corporation adviser Rajendra Nigam said he had not fully examined the letter circulating publicly.
Nigam said the Maikalsuta cruise had operated regularly since December and completed five trips daily, with up to 10 trips on Sundays.
He acknowledged that another cruise vessel, “Rewa”, had stopped operations because of technical faults. However, he maintained that Maikalsuta remained operational.
Nigam also confirmed that officials had planned to replace the vessel’s engine, though he denied the cruise suffered from any major technical defect.
“The Maikalsuta cruise had been operating regularly since December,” Nigam said.
Resort repeatedly warned officials before Bargi cruise tragedy
According to the letter, the Maikalsuta cruise had operated since 2006, while the Rewa cruise had remained in service since 2007.
The resort management reportedly said both vessels developed recurring technical problems despite repeated repair work.
Officials allegedly received several earlier warnings regarding the condition of the cruises.
The letter stated that both engines of the Rewa cruise failed during a trip on January 14, 2025.
A Hyderabad-based boat builder later informed the resort through email that the engines had become too old, spare parts were unavailable and both engines required replacement.
Maikalsuta cruise reportedly faced repeated engine problems
The resort also highlighted technical problems with the Maikalsuta cruise.
According to the letter, one engine could not take load properly, creating difficulties during docking and departures.
During strong winds and rough water conditions, the vessel reportedly needed support from a speedboat.
The second engine allegedly developed frequent starting problems because its self-starter gear jammed repeatedly.
The resort said officials sometimes suspended cruise operations because of these faults, which also triggered complaints from tourists.
The management warned that the vessel required urgent repairs or engine replacement and said the service could stop functioning at any time without immediate intervention.
Bargi cruise tragedy exposes alleged safety lapses
The report stated that the resort management repeatedly warned tourism officials through earlier letters numbered 45, 108 and 169.
Despite the warnings, authorities allegedly failed to take concrete action.
The Bargi cruise tragedy also brought attention to several alleged lapses in safety procedures.
According to reports:
- The cruise allegedly did not have insurance
- Officials reportedly lacked a weather alert monitoring system
- Safety protocols were allegedly ignored
- Rescue systems reportedly failed
- Authorities allegedly dismantled the cruise before investigators completed their inquiry
13 people died in Bargi cruise tragedy
The Bargi cruise tragedy claimed the lives of 13 people, including four children and eight women.
The victims included residents from Bhopal, New Delhi, Jabalpur and Tamil Nadu.
