Bhopal, March 19
Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Dr Mohan Yadav has announced an ex-gratia of Rs 2 lakh each for the next of kin of the victims who drowned in Mata Tila dam in Shivpuri district.

It is feared that all the seven persons who were missing till Tuesday evening are dead.

The Chief Minister in a message on his X handle expressed profound grief over the boat accident in Shivpuri district.

In this accident that happened on Tuesday evening, some devotees died untimely in the village Rajavan, Pichhor under Khaniyadhana police station, the CM said in a statement.

“These devotees were going to Siddh Baba temple near Matatila dam for a programme related to Faag. According to the information received, Shivpuri district administration has safely rescued 8 out of 15 devotees with the help of disaster forces and local citizens,” the statement said.

A total of seven people including three women and four children went missing after a boat full of devotees overturned in the Mata Tila Dam located in Khaniyadhana police station area of Shivpuri district on Tuesday evening.

The accident occurred between 4.30 and 4.45 p.m. when 15 people from Rajavan village went by boat to visit Siddh Baba temple, located on the island in the middle of the dam. They were visiting the temple to celebrate an event related to the Hindu festivity of ‘Faag’ (Holi).

According to police, the boat suddenly lost balance and overturned on the way. Many people in the boat started drowning. The local villagers showed promptness and saved eight people, but three women and four children have not been traced yet.

While speaking to IANS over the phone, a senior officer said, it is yet not confirmed but they all might be no more. No trace of the missing person so far due to darkness and the dam reservoir is huge and deep. Initially two boats and a team of expert divers were deployed to search the missing persons. The site is 110 km from the district headquarters. The dam is constructed on the Betwa river in Uttar Pradesh but it shares its border with Madhya Pradesh.

MP boat tragedy: All seven feared dead, CM announces compensation