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Kerala boat accident: What may have led to the mishap that killed 22
The mishap involving the double decker boat occurred near Thooval Theeram beach in the Tanur area of Malappuram at around 7 pm Sunday.
A day after a tourist boat capsized in Kerala’s Malappuram district, the state government ordered a judicial probe into the incident that killed at least 22, including seven children. Chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan has announced ₹10 lakh compensation each to the families of the victims. The CM also said the government will examine whether the safety protocols for tourist boats were followed by the boat service.
The mishap involving the double decker boat occurred near Thooval Theeram beach in the Tanur area of the district at around 7 pm Sunday. As per a report by news agency PTI, police officials said the tourist boat could have overturned possibly due to overcrowding as it carried at least 30-40 passengers onboard.
A report by Malayalam news channel Manorama added that the boat had been functioning without a fitness certificate mandatory for tourist boats. The report also alleged that the fateful vessel was initially a fishing boat, which was converted for the purpose of tourist services by the owner.
Although the exact number of people onboard when the tragedy struck is still unconfirmed, operators of the month-old cruise service were urging more people to join saying it was the ‘last trip of the day’, despite the boat being overloaded, eyewitnesses told Manorama News.
Read: Kerala boat accident: 22 dead, rescue ops on; CM meets survivors| Latest updates
Despite the vessel being packed beyond its capacity of 20 persons, operators ignored warnings that the boat was tilting to one side. The report added that since the boat had only two exit doors and glass windows, many could not escape to safety.
PK Kunhalikutty, an MLA of the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML), told PTI that the boat had violated the rule of vessels not being allowed to operate after 6 pm. Demanding a probe into the ‘man-made accident', Kerala’s opposition leader VD Satheesan, while speaking to media, said, "Nobody even knows if the boat had a licence or not."
While the owner of the boat is absconding, police informed that investigations will begin after the rescue operations by National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and Indian Coast Guard personnel are over.
A case has been registered against the boat's owner for culpable homicide, police said.
The state government announced a day of mourning on Monday and cancelled all official events as a mark of respect to those who lost their lives in the accident.
(With inputs from agencies)
