All boats in Thekkady to undergo fitness tests: Minister

Kerala Forests Minister Binoy Viswam on Thursday said boating activity on the Thekkady lake in central Kerala's Periyar Wild Life Sanctuary will be suspended till all boats undergo fitness tests.

Kerala Forests Minister Binoy Viswam on Thursday said boating activity on the Thekkady lake in central Kerala's Periyar Wild Life Sanctuary will be suspended till all boats undergo fitness tests.

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Vishwam said the forest and tourism departments have four and five boats, respectively.

"The test would be done by an expert committee and till such tests are done there will be no more boating activities," the minister told IANS.

The double-decker boat owned by the state-run Kerala Tourism Development Corporation capsized at 5.15 pm on Wednesday killing 41 people.

Officials said the dead included 12 each from New Delhi and Tamil Nadu, five each from West Bengal and Andhra Pradesh, three each from Karnataka and Kerala and one from Mumbai.