At least 34 tourists drowned when a boat capsized in a natural reserve in southern India on Wednesday evening, the Times of India said on Thursday. According to the state water resources minister N K Premachandran, the accident occurred when a large group of tourists on the upper deck spotted a bison herd and rushed to one side of the double-decker boat to take a better look. The boat lost its balance and sank stern down as a result.
A survivor, however, told the Times of India that the boat capsized when the captain made a sharp right turn.
According to official information, the vessel was in normal technical condition and was declared fit for sailing.
Some 20 people were rescued or managed to swim to safety. The death toll is expected to rise as rescue efforts are being hampered by unfavorable weather conditions and poor visibility.
Various sources say the boat carried from 64 to 82 passengers. The total number of missing people is unknown.
This is the third similar accident in India in the past two days. Late on Monday two overloaded boats capsized in the northern state of Bihar, 65 people died. Later in the day, nine people drowned when a boat sank on the river Koshi in the same state.
