Jabalpur Boat Tragedy | "Can't Eat, Sleep": Jabalpur Boat Pilot To NDTV On Tragedy That Killed 9

Mahesh Patel, pilot of the cruise boat that capsized in Jabalpur's Bargi dam on Thursday, said he tried to save as many passengers as possible when water flooded the boat and apologised for the nine deaths. Patel recalled that the weather was normal when they pushed off from Khamariya island, but the winds started picking when they had reached mid-water. "No warning or instruction was given to return due to bad weather," he said. As the storm intensified and waves started pummeling the boat, he took a decision to turn the boat back towards the shore. Passengers panicked as water began entering the boat, Patel told NDTV, while he alerted ground teams to send another boat for evacuation. "As the boat filled with water, I called the reception desk and requested that they dispatch another boat, warning them that an accident was imminent," he said.