A tragic incident occurred on Sunday evening in the southern state of Kerala, as a double-decker boat ferrying passengers capsized and sank near an estuary close to Thoovaltheeram beach in the Tanur area. At least 20 people, including women and children, drowned in the incident.
State Sports Minister V Abdurahiman confirmed the death toll to be 20 and stated that 15 of the bodies have been identified, with four persons in critical condition being admitted to a Kottakkal hospital. The boat was carrying around 35-40 passengers, and more bodies are expected to be recovered from inside as the boat is being hauled ashore.
Reports state that the boat operator did not have permission to enter the water in the night hours, but still continued the service due to the heavy rush of visitors on Sunday evening.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed his condolences and announced an ex-gratia of Rs 200,000 (US $2,400 approx.) to the family members of each victim. The state government declared an official mourning on Monday for the victims and cancelled all official functions for the day. Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan directed the district collector to carry out a coordinated emergency rescue operation and is expected to reach the accident site on Monday morning. Fire and police units, officials from the Revenue and Health departments, and local residents from Tanur and Tirur were involved in the rescue operation.
PK Kunhalikutty, an MLA of the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML), said the toll is expected to go up as rescue operations continue. The incident has taken place amid the ongoing school vacations, and among the deceased include several women and children who had come for a ride. It is a very tragic and unfortunate incident, Kunhalikutty said.
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