At least 21, including children, drown after boat capsizes in India
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A boat has capsized in southern India, killing at least 21 people including children, authorities have said.
The vessel, which was carrying between 30 and 40 passengers, overturned near the coastal town of Tanur in the Malappuram district of Kerala state.
Police think it was overcrowded when it got into trouble at around 7pm local time on Sunday.
About 10 passengers were being treated in hospital, with four of those in critical condition.
Officials said they feared that some people might be still missing.
Kerala’s sports minister V Abdurahiman told reporters that the boat was stuck in muddy waters and attempts were being made to pull it out.
“The boat is being hauled ashore and more bodies are expected to be recovered from inside,” he told the Press Trust of India news agency.
The dead included children who had come for a ride on the boat during their school holidays, the minister added.
A team from the National Disaster Response Force was at the site, a Kerala State Disaster Management Authority spokesperson said.
Monday has been declared a day of official mourning, according to local media reports.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi tweeted: “Pained by the loss of lives due to the boat mishap in Malappuram, Kerala.”
Boating accidents are common in India, where many vessels are overcrowded and have inadequate safety equipment.
In September 2020, 12 people drowned when a sightseeing boat capsized on the swollen Godavari River in the southern state of Andhra Pradesh.
In May 2018, 30 people died when a boat capsized in the same region.
