TANUR (MALAPPURAM): The pleasure cruise that turned Poorapuzha River in Tanur into a watery grave for 22 people, including 15 children, flouted multiple rules as enforcement agencies looked the other way.
Among the many rules that Atlantic, the ill-fated boat, flouted, overcrowding is considered the main cause of the accident.
The boat, originally a fishing vessel that was converted into a double-decker tourist cruise, was carrying 37 passengers against a capacity of just 22. The police are investigating if more people entered the boat without tickets.
Further, there were no sufficient life jackets on the boat and it had no safety certificate from the surveyors under the ports department. The boat also operated the service after 5 pm despite the ban on rides on the river post-sunset. The failure to follow the mandatory security protocol also contributed to the gravity of the tragedy.
Though Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, who reached Tanur on Monday morning, ordered a judicial inquiry as well as a special police investigation into the tragedy and announced Rs 10 lakh to the next of kin of each deceased, there was simmering rage in this otherwise quaint village on the many rules that the boat operator has been brazenly violating, perhaps with the silent backing of the authorities. While police nabbed the boat owner, Nasar, from Kozhikode, the boat driver and his helper are still absconding.
Nasar, an expatriate who recently returned to Tanur, had reportedly tried to flee the country from Kochi airport on Sunday night but abandoned the idea after learning that the police were close on his heels. Police have seized his vehicle from Kochi.
The chief minister, who paid tributes to the deceased at a madrasa where the bodies were kept for public homage, also visited the government hospital at Tirurangadi.
“We can’t describe the grief of kin of the bereaved families. We should take measures to prevent the recurrence of such accidents,” Pinarayi said, announcing the judicial probe after he held a review meeting with his cabinet colleagues.
A 14-member special investigation team (SIT) has been constituted to probe the incident. Malappuram district police chief Sujith Das will oversee the probe and Tanur DySP K V Benny will be the investigating officer.
As many as 10 people, who were rescued from the spot, were admitted to various hospitals in the district. Five people in the boat swam back to the shore without any injuries. Health Minister Veena George said counselling will be provided to the kin of the deceased to help them overcome the mental stress and pain.