Kerala boat mishap: Steerman, crew member arrested

Thekkady, Oct 5: Four days after a Kerala tourist boat capsized in in the Periyar wildlife sanctuary killing 45 people, the police probing into the incident has reportedly arrested steerman of the boat and a crew member.

38-year-old steerman, Victor Samuel and his 24-year-old assistant Anish were arrested on Sunday, Oct 4. Both are contract employees of Kerala Tourism Development Corporation (KTDC).

Speaking on this development, Superintendent of Police PA Valsan, who is heading the investigation, said, "Now we will take them to the accident site. They have been charged with culpable homicide and will be produced before a court here."

"While Samuel had the necessary license, his deputy did not have one. In the coming days, scientific tests will be done by boat experts and then the report will be submitted to the government," he added.

According to initial findings, the KTDC double-decker boat which had a seating capacity of 75 was carrying12 extra people on Wednesday, Sep 30 when the accident took place.

The findings also suggest that there were other inherent problems with the boat that was pressed to service in Sep 2009.

OneIndia News