The death toll in Monday’s boat tragedy off the Karwar coast in Uttar Kannada district has risen to 14 with six more bodies recovered on Tuesday.
Of the victims, nine belonged to the same family from Hosur in Shiggavi taluk of Haveri district. In all, 13 from the family were on the boat and four survived the tragedy. Seven bodies of the family have been recovered and the search is on for the remaining two.
Addressing presspersons along with officials of the Indian Coast Guard, Coastal Security Police and District Police on Tuesday evening, Deputy Commissioner of Uttar Kannada district S.S. Nakul said that 35 persons were in the boat that capsized near Koormagad island.
While 19 persons were rescued, the bodies of 14 persons have been recovered and handed over to their families after post-mortem. The owner of the boat and the driver navigating it, Ranganath Jopade and Dayanand Jadhav respectively, have been arrested and an inquiry is on, he said.
Mr. Nakul said the search operations are being carried out by five teams comprising the Indian Coast Guard, Coastal Security Police, general police, Tagore beach committee, lifeguards and local fishermen.
Boats of Indian coast guards C-155, C-420, C- 123, bigger boat Amarthya and another big boat of Indian navy INS Tilanchal carried out the search operations and the assistance of a Navy helicopter too was taken to locate the dead bodies.
The Navy helicopter first located the dead body of a boy in the morning and it turned out to be that of Kiran (4) from Hosur in Shiggavi taluk. Subssequently the bodies of Parashuram Belavalakoppa (35), Sanjivini (14), Soujanya (12) of of Hosur in Shiggavi taluk of Haveri district, Shreyas Pavaskar (28) of Karwar and Geeta Hulaswar (23) of Ankola were recovered around Alvewad, Devbagh and Koormagad island. The search is on for Keerti (7), Sandeep (11) of Hosur, Shiggavi.
District Superintendent of Police Vinayak Patil, Commander of Indian Coast Guard Avaninder Nanda, Superintendent of Coastal Security Police Pramod Rao briefed about the rescue operation.
Judges visit
Meanwhile Principal District and Sessions judge T.G. Shivashankare Gowda, Member of District Legal Services Authority T. Govindaiah, judges Shivakumar, Amarnath, Maheshchandra Kanth and Vivek Gramopadhyay visited the district hospital to meet the survivors.
They also spent time with Ganesh, 9, of Shiggavi, who has lost his family in the tragedy and discussed with officials the steps to be taken to help the boy.