Kerala: 22 People Dead After Tourist Boat Capsizes; PM Condoles Deaths

The Kerala government has said that a double-decker boat capsized near the Tuvalthiram beach in Thanur area of the Malappuram district, on Sunday evening, killing 22 individuals, including seven children.

The fatal incident occurred at 7 pm. The police have registered a case against the boat owner for culpable homicide.

As only 40 passengers had tickets and some were on board without tickets, the total number of passengers is unknown.

Teams from the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and the Indian Coast Guard are rescuing individuals.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi condoled the deaths and announced a compensation of Rs 2 lakh to the next of kin of the deceased from the Prime Minister's National Relief Fund (PMNRF).

Modi expressed sympathy for the deceased and pledged to provide 2 lakh rupees to each victim's family.

Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan announced that today (8 May) will be observed as a day of mourning. He will visit the site later in the day.