Yet another boat tragedy in Kerala; 8 students feared drowned

At least eight students -- six boys and two girls -- are feared dead in yet another boat capsize in Kerala's Malappuram district. Rescue operations are on in full swing.

According to reports, there were as many as 40 students -- from the Sainulabdeen higher secondary school of Areekode -- in the boat when the accident took place. They were traveling after school back home in a country boat, in the Chaliar river, which flipped over in the middle of the river.

Most of them managed to swim to safety, and some students were rescued by the public.
The victims include Koyiba, Thoufeek, Shameema, Shihab, Siraj, Thuhail, Mushik and Shahidali, all Muslim students, ages ranging 15 to 18. Fire force and police machinery have already deployed in the area to rescue and search for victims.

The search operations would be hit due to the reduced visibility, owing to rains and cloudy atmosphere, it is said. Sources said that the undercurrents in the river are too high to carry out smooth rescue operations.

Kerala’s Health Minister P K Sreemathy has ordered the Kozhikode Medical College authorities and the Areekode hospital authorities to be geared up to giving medical aid to the victims.

This is the second boat tragedy in Kerala within a month. On September 30, about 45 tourists died when the boat over turned on the Thekaddy Lake, near Periyar National Park.

In 2002, there was a boat tragedy in Kumarakom, which claimed lives of 29 people. In 2007, 15 school children and 3 teachers drowned when they boating in a happy school trip that turned into tragedy.

- Asian Tribune -