Malappuram: Disaster struck Tanur, Malappuram, when a tourist boat capsized killing 22 people including eleven members of a family. The dead include seven children also. Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed shock and pain in the incident and announced an ex-gratia of Rs.2 lakhs for the families of the deceased.
Reports say that the accident occurred after 6.30 pm, yesterday, at Thooval Theeram at Tanur. Officials have confirmed that the boat had no fitness certificate and is believed that the boat was originally a fishing boat, which was converted for tourism purposes.
The National Disaster Response Force and Fire Force are carrying out search operations with the help of local residents and fishermen. The Navy and Coast Guard are also called in to assist the operations.
Reports say, quoting natives, that the boat was overcrowded when the mishap occurred and that it had no safety measures.
The owner of the boat Nassar has been slapped with non-bailable offences including culpable homicide. His boat, Atlas, was running tourist services without any fitness certificate. The police reported that Nassar is absconding after accident.
At the time of the accident, the boat carried around 35 persons, who had come to enjoy the weekend. The deceased include 11 members from a single family, who had come for a get together.
The President of India, Droupadi Murmu, Vice President, Jagdeep Dhankar, and Union Home Minister, Amit Shah, have extended their condolences to the families of those who deceased in the tragedy. They prayed for the quick recovery of the survivors too.
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