22 tourist died in Kerala

Boat sank carrying about 40 passengers

In India's southern state of Kerala, Malappuram district, at least 22 people have died when a double-decker boat capsized off the coastal town of Tanur, authorities said.

On Sunday evening the boat which was carrying about 40 passengers, overturned at about 7pm as it was overcrowded, police informed. 

However, the rescue operation is still going on and 22 bodies have recovered including women and children. On Monday, Moosa Vadakkethil, a senior fire official in Malappuram, said. 

The cause of overturn of the tourist boat was not clear near Thooval Theeram beach in Tanur.

The state’s sports and fisheries minister V Abdurahiman, who was helping to coordinate rescue efforts, said most of the victims were children on school holidays.

The death toll was likely to rise as the boat was stuck in muddy waters and was being pulled out to rescue those trapped inside, Abdurahiman told reporters on Sunday night.

Pained by the loss of lives due to the boat mishap in Malappuram, Kerala,” Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi said in a tweet.