New Delhi, May 8 (BNA): A double-decker boat carrying more than 30 passengers capsized off a beach in southern India, killing more than 22 people, including children, officials said.
Associated Press (AP) police officer Abdul Nizar reported that rescue teams were expecting to recover more bodies from inside the boat after it was pulled ashore from muddy waters.
He said that the Indian National Disaster Response Force and Indian Coast Guard personnel are involved in the rescue work and trying to find those still missing.
The tourist boat capsized near the mouth of the Burapuzha River in Tanur, a coastal town in Malappuram district of Kerala state. Most of the passengers were tourists.
Nizar said that the authorities are investigating the cause of the accident and it appears that the boat capsized due to overcrowding.
The chief minister of the state, who will be visiting the area, tweeted his condolences to the families of the victims and urged the district authorities to supervise the rescue.
Monday was declared an official day of mourning, the agency reported, quoting a government statement.
NAA