People pay last respects to boat capsize victims

Kochi, Feb 21 (UNI) The bodies of 15 school children and three teachers, drowned in a boat capsize in Ovungal Kadavu in the Periyar river last evening, were kept at the Elavoor St Antony's School here, for the people to pay their last respects.

Grief-stricken people queued up at the school from early morning to pay their last respect to the departed souls.

The victims were part of a group of 118, including ten teachers and two non-teaching staff from St Antony's School, who were on an excursion to Thattekkadu.

The picnic party left in three boats to the Thattekkadu Bird Sanctuary and one of the boats carrying 37 persons capsized in the catchment area of the sanctuary.

All the students who died in the mishap were aged below 12 years and studying in standard five to seven.

Expressing his profound grief over the incident, Kerala Education Minister M A Baby last night said the government would put in place a policy to ensure safety of the school children and teachers going on picnic.

The policy would be applicable to all government and private schools in the state, he added.

Tension prevailed in the accident spot last evening as the public blamed the district authorities over the lack of facilities for the rescue operations.

UNI