A boat capsized on Sunday at 7.30 pm near an estuary close to the Thoovaltheeram beach in the Tanur area of Kerala. According to district officials, the boat was carrying over 40 people. In this tragic incident death toll rose to 21 including seven children, on Monday, while 10 people have been rescued and admitted to the hospital. The rescue operations are still underway.
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Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan has announced that he will visit the site today. Meanwhile, Kerala Health Minister Veena George took stock of the situation. She held an emergency meeting yesterday late night. She has instructed the district health administration to provide proper treatment to the injured. There is no exact figure about number of people on board the crashed boat, so efforts are underway to get information about people trapped in the mud below.
According to media reports, a case has been registered against the owner of the boat for culpable homicide, the police said. The Kerala government has ordered a judicial probe into the accident and has announced a compensation of ₹ 10 lakh to the families of the victims.
Although the exact number of passengers on the boat is still unknown, 40 were with tickets while many others were without one. The boat reportedly did not have a safety certificate either.
National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and Indian Coast Guard personnel are engaged in rescue work. Underwater cameras are being used to track down those who are still missing.Police, fire and health officials along with locals from Tanur were engaged in the rescue work.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi condoled the deaths and announced a compensation of ₹ 2 lakh to the families of each victim.
Pained by the loss of lives due to the boat mishap in Malappuram, Kerala. Condolences to the bereaved families. An ex-gratia of Rs. 2 lakh from PMNRF would be provided to the next of kin of each deceased: PM @narendramodi
— PMO India (@PMOIndia) May 7, 2023
Congress leader and former Wayanad MP Rahul Gandhi too wished for the speedy recovery of those injured.
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