Kerala: 20 Dead After Tourist Houseboat Capsizes In Malappuram, Rescue Operations Underway

Malappuram (Kerala), May 8: Prime Minister Narendra Modi has condoled the deaths and announced an ex-gratia of Rs 2 lakh to the next of kin of each victim. Twenty people, including women and children, were killed in Kerala's Malappuram district on Sunday, when a houseboat with more than 30 passengers on board capsized and sank near the Thoovaltheeram beach in the Tanur area, the state government said. The rescue operation is still underway as of today morning. Monday has been declared a day of official mourning and all government programmes stand postponed as a mark of respect to the victims. Sports Minister V Abdurahiman said that 20 deaths were confirmed on the basis of information from various hospitals where some of the tourists had been admitted. Many of those who died were women and children who had come for a ride amid the ongoing school vacations. Four people in critical condition have been admitted to a Kottakkal hospital, Abdurahiman said. Of the 20 bodies, 15 have been identified, the minister added. “The boat is being hauled ashore and more bodies are expected to be recovered from inside,” he told sources.