Approximately 22 people died in a boat mishap in Tanur, Malappuram district, on May 7 evening. Most of the deceased are children and women. Seven people are in critical condition. The boat capsized in the Poorappuza River.
It is reported that 40 people had boarded the boat while its capacity was 20! But unfortunately, there is no accurate information regarding the number of people on board when the tragedy occurred.
Some eyewitnesses reported that more than 50 people were on board; they assumed the capacity was 25. Since the boat turned upside down, some passengers were caught under the boat. As a result, no one can still give a clear account of the casualties. Darkness turned an impediment in rescue operations. Tourist boats are not permitted to cruise with passengers after 6 pm.
PM Modi, President Droupadi Murmu and Vice President Jagdeep Dhankar expressed their shock and condolences. PM Modi declared Rs 2 lakhs to the kin of the victims.
Reports suggest that it was, in fact, a fishing boat and was converted into a ‘tourist boat’, and it did not have any life jacket or other safety measures. Authorities say that the boat had all proper documents. But, people wonder how did they get such documents when the boat did not comply with all necessary safety measures.
The wooden bridge to board the boat was not proper and strong; it was in deep waters. The angry local men set fire to the bridge. The sides of the boat were covered by glass, and it was further ‘reinforced’ by iron rods. The rescue men had a hard time to smash the glasses and break he rods to rescue the people trapped in the boat.
Bharat Navy, National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), Fire and Rescue Force, Sevabharathi workers, local fishermen, and State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) have been very much active since the incident took place. Most of the rescued victims are in critical condition and are admitted to various hospitals in the area.
The boat “Shinkara” is owned by Nazar Pattarakath, Tanur. Nazar is said to have gone underground. His vehicle, his brother and a neighbour have been taken into custody by Kochi Police.
Kerala Government declared Rs 10 lakhs to the kins of the victims. The Government has declared one day of mourning in view of the mishap. The Chief Minister and most of the Ministers are in Tanur to coordinate the rescue operations. The Government has declared a judicial enquiry into the incident.
BJP and Opposition-led United Democratic Front (UDF) criticise the State Government for the negligence of duties in controlling the boat operators and in making sure that safety measures are complied with. BJP said that it was the failure of the Tourism Ministry. State President K Surendran demanded the immediate resignation of Tourism Minister Mohammed Riaz. He said the Minister does not know how many houseboats are operated in the State. His department spends crores of rupees for publicity of Kerala tourism, but there is no unified policy regarding houseboat operations. Drivers are not trained, and the passengers are not briefed about the safety measures.
Boat mishaps have been an endless story since long. After every mishap there have been inquiry commissions, and of course, all commissions submit their respective reports. But, it appears that those bundles of papers gather dust somewhere in the respective departments. There is a ‘tragic list’ of 13 such mishaps which have taken place since 1990. In all accidents, several people died. However, major ones are Kumarakam, Kottayam (2002: Death 22), Thattekkat (2007: Death 18 including several school children) and Thekkady (2009: Death 46).
People wish, at least hereafter, the safety measures will be taken care of, and authorities will wield their sticks whenever necessary.
