7 children among 22 killed in Kerala boat tragedy

Twenty-two people have lost their lives after a houseboat ferrying tourists capsized in Kerala’s Malappuram district on Sunday. While the officials are not able to find out the exact number of people in the boat, they are assuming that around 35 people were present on the boat at the time of the incident.

The boat had two decks, the upper one where people could stand and the Lower one with seats. The incident happened around 7.30 pm.

Earlier, Kerala’s Sports Minister V Abdurahiman said 20 deaths were confirmed on the basis of information from various hospitals where those pulled out from the water and inside the boat were admitted. Mr Abdurahiman said many of those who died were women and children who had come for a ride amid the ongoing school vacations.

“More victims are believed to be trapped under the boat and have to be brought out. The boat had overturned. The reason for it is not yet known. Police will be investigating it,” he told reporters.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed his condolences to the families of the deceased and announced an ex-gratia of Rs.2 lakh from the Prime Minister’s National Relief Fund (PMNRF) for them.

In a tweet, the PMO said, “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 Modi.”