Thiruvananthapuram, May 8: A pall of gloom descended the fishing hamlet of Tanur when the bodies of 12 members of a family (two brothers and their families) – all victims of Kerala boat tragedy – were brought home on Monday morning.
The victims included one Sayyed Alvi, his brother and their families.
Alvi eked out his living by engaging in fishing and Sunday being a holiday, the two families decided to go out for a boating and everything was fine till the boat suddenly capsized around 7.30 pm.
In a flash, the boat capsized and 22 of them drowned. While one body is yet to be recovered, 10 victims are recovering and the rest were rescued.
Alvi’s neighbours recalled that before leaving for the pleasure trip, his children were excited and bade them goodbye without realising that it would be their final adieu.
Alvi’s brother-in-law Shahul Hameed – an auto rickshaw driver who on hearing the accident – rushed to the accident spot.
“ As soon as I reached the spot, the locals rushed with a young child and asked me to drive to the hospital. I did that. And after reaching the hospital when I saw the face of the young child, I was shell shocked as it was my niece,” said an inconsolable Hameed.
Tanur is going to take a long time to recover from this tragedy. Several locals are angry that the authorities, despite being warned this boat did not have the necessary safety standards, were allowed to ply.
Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan landed in Tanur this morning and is meeting his cabinet colleagues to decide the next course of action.
