Kerala boat tragedy: Death toll mounts to 35

Thekkady, Oct 1: At least 35 tourists drowned when a ill-fated boat capsized in a lake in the Periyar wildlife sanctuary of Kerala on Wednesday evening, Sep 30, police said.

According to official sources, the boat was carrying at least 76 tourists, mostly from Karnataka and some from abroad. It capsized at around 05:15 pm in the artificial lake near Thekkady, about 300 km from state capital Thiruvananthapuram.

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District collector Ashok Kumar Singh had confirmed last night that a total of 30 bodies, including 14 women and six children, were recovered from the state-run double-deck boat.

The tragedy occurred when the boat 'Jalakanyaka' tilted after several tourists moved to one side on sighting elephants in the Wildlife Sanctuary on the banks of the lake. The boat was half submerged in the mishap, an eyewitness said.

Sources said that the toll is likely to go up as few more people are yet to be traced.

OneIndia News