Search for bodies in Kerala lake continues

Indian Navy divers resumed the search for missing people in the Thekkady lake at the Periyar wildlife sanctuary as slippers and scattered bits of clothing floated in the placid waters, mute remnants of the boat capsize that killed 41 tourists.

Indian Navy divers resumed the search for missing people in the Thekkady lake at the Periyar wildlife sanctuary on Friday as slippers and scattered bits of clothing floated in the placid waters, mute remnants of the boat capsize that killed 41 tourists.

HT Image

The otherwise crowded wildlife sanctuary was quiet with just a handful of foreign tourists unaware of the tragedy two days ago standing at the rim of the lake, ringed by the forests famous for their elephant sightings.

Idukki Superintendent of Police PK Kuttapayi said the divers were looking to see if they could recover any bodies.

"Even though we have not received any official complaint about missing people, there are reports that four people are yet to be traced. It appears there is some sort of confusion in this regard. The divers will be in the lake for some more time," Kuttapayi told IANS.

Amongst those missing are the 19-year-old son and 15-year-old daughter of an Andhra Pradesh couple, who were in a hotel in Thekkady and too heartbroken to talk to the media.

According to reports, a mother and daughter from Tamil Nadu were also reported missing after the accident.

Officials said all the bodies had been transported out by 2 am on Friday to be sent on to their homes across the country for last rites.

The dead comprise 12 each from Delhi and Tamil Nadu, five each from West Bengal and Andhra Pradesh, three each from Karnataka and Kerala and one from Mumbai.

The ill-fated double-decker fibreglass boat owned by the state-run Kerala Tourism Development Corporation was pressed into service only last month.