Scribe who had gone to cover Kerala floods dies after boat capsizes

Thiruvananthapuram, July 25: A journalist of 'Mathrubhumi' news channel and a car driver had gone to Vaikom, Kerala, to cover floods in the region when the boat they were travelling in capsized in a canal on Monday. The diving teams of fireforce and Navy were pressed into service to find them. After a long search the teams found their dead bodies on Tuesday.

The body of Saji, stringer of 'Mathrubhumi' news channel, was handed over to his relatives after autopsy at the government medical college hospital, Kottayam, reported PTI.

The body of Bipin, the car driver of the channels Thiruvalla bureau, was found in the canal at 7.30 pm around 300 metres from the accident site. His body has been sent for autopsy, police said. The two, part of a media team that had gone to cover the flood-hit areas near Vaikom, were reported missing on Monday after the country boat carrying them capsized.

Mathrubhumi channel's Kottayam staff reporter K B Sreedharan and cameraman Abhilash, who were also in the boat, were rescued by local people in another boat.

The ferryman was also rescued by them.

Police, fire and rescue service personnel and locals had launched a search soon after the incident last afternoon but called it off by night fall.

They resumed rescue operations this morning. A Naval disaster relief team, comprising five personnel, was also engaged.

Sreedharan and Abhilash have been admitted to a hospital.

OneIndia News with PTI inputs