KERALA: A boat sank off the shore of the coastal town of Tanur in the Malappuram district in the southern Indian state of Kerala, killing at least 21 persons, according to local police.
According to Abdul Nazar, the junior superintendent of police for Malappuram district, the boat, which was carrying approximately 40 inbound people, capsized due to overcrowding.
The police official stated that it was unclear exactly how many more individuals had died but added that roughly 10 passengers were being treated in various hospitals at the moment and that many had been sent home after receiving first treatment.
Kerala’s minister for fisheries and harbour development, V. Abdurahiman, told reporters that while the boat was being lifted out of the murky waters to rescue people trapped onboard, the death toll was sure to grow.
According to a representative for the Kerala State Disaster Management Authority (KSDMA), the event in the state’s Malappuram district occurred at approximately 7 p.m. local time on Sunday, and a team from the National Disaster Response Force was on the scene.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi tweeted that he was “painted by the loss of lives due to the boat accident in Malappuram, Kerala.”
