Jabalpur cruise accident: Sonu Sood calls for strict accountability, says ‘We need a govt portal where….’

Indian actor and film producer Sonu Sood on Friday reacted to the Jabalpur cruise accident, in which at least nine people were killed, 28 were rescued from the water, and a frantic search continued for six tourists still missing.

He called for mandatory life jackets and strict accountability to save lives, and suggested creating a government portal where each trip would include time-stamped proof of all passengers wearing life jackets prior to departure.

"A while ago I tweeted about the Bihar boat tragedy, urging life jackets for every passenger. Then came Vrindavan… and now Madhya Pradesh, more lives lost the same way. How many more?" Sood asked.

He added, “It’s time to make it mandatory: no boat should leave without every passenger wearing a life jacket. We also need a govt portal where each trip uploads time-stamped proof of all passengers in life jackets before departure. Only strict accountability can save lives.”

Hussain mentioned, "I was stuck over the boat... I was stuck amid water for 4-5 hours and could here no sound... 3 members of my family had already drowned and I could have drowned as well, but miraculously, I was saved... The CM reassured me...”

40-year-old Marina, her mother Madhur, and her 4-year-old son, Jahaan were among the victims of the incident. Marina’s family also voiced their grief and alleged that negligence may have contributed to the incident.

Speaking to ANI, Gladvin, the son of Madhur and brother of Marina, described the incident as tragic and expressed deep sorrow over the loss of his family members.

"It is very tragic for me. My life has become very troubled... Three members of my house - my sister, my mother, and my 4-year-old nephew - all perished in this accident," he said.

Gladvin added, “They were saying that people were advising against going further. They still took the cruise forward and it got stuck in the storm there. And it was quite an old cruise. That's why all these incidents happened. I would call it negligence, and in terms of security too, because life jackets were not given to them on time.”

Meanwhile, Tourism Minister Dharmendra Singh Lodhi on Friday directed an inquiry into the incident and assured that strict action would be taken against those found responsible.

The Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Office said that the loss of lives in the boat capsizing incident in Jabalpur, Madhya Pradesh, was deeply distressing. It expressed condolences to the bereaved families and prayed for the quick recovery of those injured.

The statement added that the local administration was providing assistance to those affected, and announced an ex gratia of ₹2 lakh from the Prime Minister’s National Relief Fund for the next of kin of each deceased, while the injured would receive ₹50,000.