22 killed in Kochi boat accident

KOCHI: Twenty Two children, including three teachers, were drowned when a boat carrying students and staff of a school capsized in the Periyar river near Thattekkad bird sanctuary in Kerala’s Ernakulam district. The dead children were all below 10 years of age.

A total of 103 students and staff of Elavoor school near Angamaly had gone to the bird sanctuary in three boats and one of them capsized, Ernakulam’s District Collector A P M Mohammad Haneesh said.

Eight children were rescued after the boat capsized and a search was on for others who were swept away, he said.

According to police sources there were 45 students in the boat when the mishap occurred. Ten students were rescued by Naval swimmers. Rescue operations were in full swing to trace the other missing students, the sources said.

Sources said the incident occurred at around 1730 hours as 103 students of St Anthony’s School in Angamali were being taken on a tour of the sanctuary in three boats.The dead children were all below 10 years of age.

Rescue operations are going on, sources added.

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