Locals claim the boat that capsized was under repair. It was not in service for a few days. But the prospect of a large group meant big business.
Neither the boat nor its owner had a valid licence, say police
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: A day after 18 school children and three teachers drowned near a popular picnic spot near Kochi on Tuesday, the police have come across a host of fragile boats without a proper licence operating in the area. Many illegal boats and boatmen without valid licence are reported to run business in the area. Though the police are examining the boat that capsized, its owner-cum-driver is absconding.
Students from St Antony's School near Angamaly, accompanied by teaching and non-teaching staff, were on holiday at Thattekkad Bird Sanctuary on Tuesday. The 106-strong contingent had hired three boats, one of which capsized with about 31 passengers on board. The group was split in three and the first two groups had returned to the shore when the mishap took place. Though the boat foundered around 7 pm, rescue operations had to wait for an hour due to the inaccessibility of the area.
Chief minister VS Achuthanandan and most of his ministers were camping on the site on Wednesday. A solatium of Rs 2 lakh has been offered to the family of each victim.
According to the director general of police Raman Srivastava, who visited the spot with his top men, many laxities have come to the fore. "I have been informed that seven to eight boats operate in these waters without a valid licence. We are examining the whereabouts of the boat-owner," he said. The police are convinced that the reason for the tragedy was overcrowding and it was way too small for even 15 passengers.
The boat that sunk is an unauthorised one, if a teacher from another school, who has been touring the same area on the same day, is to be believed. "We were accosted by a few boatmen in Thattekkad. They said they could accommodate 50. But we refused. Then they said even 75 was okay," said Satheesh Kumar of Pambady Technical School, who led his students to Thattekkad.
According to locals, the particular boat was under repair. It was not in service for the last few days. But the prospect of a large group meant big business for the boat-owner.
According to one of the students who swam ashore, the boat developed a leakage while they were returning from the sanctuary.
"We suddenly noticed water seeping inside the boat. Though we complained, our cries fell on a deaf ear," he said. One of the teachers who survived the tragedy also complained of lack of safety equipment in the boat.
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