Malappuram: Many natives of Tanur have raised serious allegations against the boat owner, Nassar, whose boat capsized last evening, killing 22 people including children. They said that the tourist boat was earlier used for fishing and did not have enough safety measures on it. Nassar had made changes to the fishing boat and began using it for tourist purposes.
There were no life jackets and no correct emergency exit on the boat. Some natives who had knowledge of the boat had warned Nassar several times about this, however, he was not ready to listen to them.
The depth of the river was increased to conduct boat service. The boat used for tourist services was in fact a fishing type boat used in Kochi for fishing. Many natives who were aware about the boat’s condition used to tell that the underside of the boat was faulty and had given warning.
Though the police took the boat into custody on April 22, they had to release it due to pressure from high political quarters.
The police said that Nassar has gone into hiding after the accident. The police have registered non-bailable charges against him, including culpable homicide.
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