More people were sitting: CPI(M) blames passengers onboard for Kerala boat capsize

As Kerala witnessed a tragic boat mishap, the ruling Communist Party of India (Marxist) pinned the blame on the victims onboard for being negligent. Terming the incident unfortunate, CPI(M) leader and former Lok Sabha MP Subhashini Ali stated that the accident happened because the passengers overcrowded the boat beyond the limit.

Subhashini Ali said, "This is an unfortunate incident. It seems that more people were sitting in the boat. Most of the time, more and more people wanted to sit in the boat and it could have happened because of them".

At least 22 people have lost their lives by drowning after a houseboat reportedly carrying around 40 passengers capsized in the Tanur area of Kerala's Malappuram on Sunday evening. More people are feared to be trapped under the boat as rescue operations are currently underway. Eight people were rescued after the boat capsized on Sunday evening and are undergoing treatment at various hospitals, district officials said.

Earlier in the day, Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan arrived at Taluk Hospital, Tirurangadi in Malappuram district where survivors of the incident are getting treatment.

FIR filed against the boat owner

A case has been registered against the boat owner, P Nasar who absconded after the incident. Republic has accessed the shocking details of the boat which caused the incident. The passengers who boarded the boat were not wearing life jackets and no safety measures were taken. The boat didn't have the required license to operate as a Fishing boat and was transformed into a tourist boat just a month ago.

Last night, the furious locals burnt the wooden bridge that led the way to the boat jetty made for tourists as a sign of protest. 

In a bid to expedite the relief and rescue operations, Indian Navy's Southern naval command squad and Chetak Helicopter have been called and are currently assisting in the operations. The National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and Indian Coast Guard teams are also part of the search operation for the missing persons.

The state government has announced a day of mourning on Monday and cancelled all official events as a mark of respect to those who lost their lives in the accident.