Thekkady (Kerala): A preliminary probe into
Kerala`s worst-ever boat tragedy here has identified the
sudden swerving of the vessel by the steer-man as a reason for
the mishap that claimed 41 lives, even as search was on for
four missing persons on Friday.
One of the reasons for Wednesday`s mishap could be that
the driver might have suddenly turned the vessel to one side
when the sight-seers moved to the same side, a note submitted
to the government by Chief Inspector Boats said.
A British tourist Jack Haliday, who was on the boat,
managed to swim ashore along with his wife Marlyn, also said
the steer-man suddenly swerved the boat to the left after
which the vessel tilted.
The steer-man`s move followed after some passengers
rushed to the top deck of the boat to see a wild bison, he
said. The steer-man survived with injuries.
The Chief Inspector Boats, in his note, also said other
factors like change in the speed of the double-decker boat or
strong wind could have caused the vessel to tip.
However, the official was learnt to have said the exact
factors for the accident could be ascertained only through a
thorough probe. Kerala government has already announced a
judicial probe by a sitting high court judge.
Meanwhile, battling inclement weather, Naval divers
continued to scour for bodies possibly trapped in the slough
of the lake-bed but found none. The search would be resumed
tomorrow, Naval sources said. Police, forest guards, fire
force personnel and local people also assisted them.
A special police team headed by a Superintendent of
Police began investigations with a visit to the spot.
All the four persons missing, three of them women, were
believed to be from Karnataka, police said.
On airlifting of bodies of victims by a private chartered
plane to their respective states, the Chief Minister`s office
said the state Government had initially requisitioned the IAF
planes, but there was no positive response from the Defence
Ministry.
Despite repeated requests by Chief Minister V S
Achuthanandan, it did not receive positive response from the
Ministry, Chief Minister`s office said in Thiruvananthapuram.
The victims in the mishap at Thekkady lake include those
from Tamil Nadu, Delhi, West Bengal, Andhra Pradesh,
Karnataka, Maharashtra and Punjab.
Bureau Report
