At least 21 people drowned after a boat capsized off the coastal town of Tanur in the Malappuram district of India's southern state of Kerala, local authorities said on Monday (May 8), Reuters reports.
Large crowds of people gathered to watch as dozens of rescue workers conducted search operations in the dark, using an excavator to drag the vessel from the muddy waters back on to shore.
The boat, which was carrying about 40 inbound passengers, overturned as it was overcrowded, said a police junior superintendent. Meanwhile, deep divers conducted search operations underwater to look for more people, an inspector from the National Disaster Response Force said.
It was not immediately clear exactly how many more people had died, officials said, adding that the death toll was likely to rise. About 10 passengers were currently being treated in various hospitals and many had been sent back after first aid, authorities said.
The incident in the Malappuram district of the state took place at around 7 p.m. local time on Sunday (May 7).
