Kottayam: A houseboat carrying tourists from Uttar Pradesh, who were vacationing in Kerala, capsized. Police have registered a case. Police and fire rescue services arrived at the scene and investigated the incident. Police stated that the houseboat has not yet been retrieved from the water. Belaram, the owner of the capsized boat, “Pamba Rani,” said compensation will be provided.
Port Officer Captain Jismon Jacob stated that the boat’s registration expired on December 1st. The boat was carrying a group of four people. The accident occurred around 3 a.m. Friday morning in the Pennarthodu Canal in Chipunkal, Kumarakom, Kottayam. All four, including a 6-year-old boy, were miraculously rescued. All the rescued people are from Uttar Pradesh. They include Gajendra Singh, his wife Anjali, their son Arshu, and Anjali’s brother Raghav. They went straight to the Kumarakom police station to file a case.
How the incident happened
Tourists enjoying the houseboat were alarmed when the houseboat began to sink. It is reported that the houseboat had already begun to tilt in the canal. Raghav and Gajendra Singh broke the glass of the room’s window by hitting their heads. The people trapped inside then escaped through the broken window. The remaining three suffered minor injuries during the rescue attempt.
Staff arrived at the scene after hearing their cries. A Shikara boat was brought near the houseboat, and the four were safely brought to shore. Police reported that they were unable to contact anyone because they had lost their phones. They boarded the boat on Thursday morning, November 5th. After the backwater cruise, the houseboat anchored in the Pennar Canal by evening. They went to the Chipunkal area and borrowed a phone from a local and informed the police. They also told the police that they saw staff pumping out water from the houseboat as soon as it began to take in water.
The tourists’ money, phones, a tablet, and jewelry were inside the boat. 64,000 rupees were recovered immediately. The rest of their belongings, including documents, were lost. The boat’s staff later took them to a nearby hotel. Officials said they would return to Uttar Pradesh today.
