CALICUT: Local authorities confirmed on Monday that at least 21 persons drowned after a boat sank off the shore of Tanur in the Malappuram district of India’s southern state of Kerala.
According to Abdul Nazar, Malappuram district’s junior superintendent of police, the boat, which was carrying about 40 inbound passengers, overturned due to overcrowding.
It was unclear how many more people had perished, according to the police officer, who added that roughly ten passengers were being treated in various hospitals and that many had been sent back after first assistance.
According to Kerala’s minister for fisheries and harbor development, V. Abdurahiman, the death toll was sure to grow because the boat was stranded in muddy waters and was being dragged out to rescue those trapped onboard.
The event occurred in the state’s Malappuram district about 7 p.m. local time on Sunday, and a team from the National Disaster Response Force was on the scene, according to a representative for the Kerala State Disaster Management Authority (KSDMA).
“Pained by the loss of lives due to the boat mishap in Malappuram, Kerala,” tweeted Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
