The Nepal Weekly 
May 9, 2023
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, according to officials.
The boat, which was carrying some 40 inbound passengers, overturned as it was overcrowded, said Abdul Nazar, Malappuram district’s junior superintendent of police.
It was not immediately clear exactly how many more people had died, the police office officer said, adding that about 10 passengers were currently being treated in various hospitals and many had returned home after first aid.
The death toll may rise as the boat was stuck in muddy waters and was being pulled out to rescue those trapped inside, Kerala’s minister for fisheries and harbour development, V. Abdurahiman told reporters.
The incident occurred around 7 p.m. local time on Sunday and a team from the National Disaster Response Force was at the site, a Kerala State Disaster Management Authority (KSDMA) spokesperson told Reuters.
“Pained by the loss of lives due to the boat mishap in Malappuram, Kerala,” Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi said in a tweet.
