Near City: A Wednesday – Thekkady Lake turns Aansoo lake (Tear lake)

Friday, October 2, 2009

A Wednesday – Thekkady Lake turns Aansoo lake (Tear lake)

Thekkady Lake became Tear Lake on Wednesday evening. In the worst tourism tragedy in Kerala, at least 38 tourists including 13 children died after a state-run double-deck boat carrying at least 76 tourists suddenly capsized on Wednesday(30th September 2009) in the famous Thekkady Lake in Periyar Wildlife Sanctuary in Idukki district.

Rescue operations have now been called off and now a search is on for the bodies of those still missing.

The Kerala Tourism Development Corporation (KTDC) boat pressed into service just one month back sank after cruising five km from the boarding point in Thekkady (about 150 km from Kochi) from where it had set out around 4 PM, a district administration official said.

It appears that basic safety norms were flouted in the boat cruise as none of the passengers was wearing a life jacket.

Initial reports suggest that the boat capsized as the tourists were trying to catch a glimpse of elephants in the Periyar Wildlife Santuary surrounding the lake and moved to one side of the boat.

There was no professional guide on the boat, a safety requirement for tourist boat rides. Had there been a guide, the tourists could have been warned against doing that.

The disaster has once again brought attention to the issue of implementing safety standards for tourism services and boat cruises.

There were just two lifesavers on the boat who played a key role in rescuing the tourists.

Officials said nine Delhiites, including four of a family, were among the victims. Bodies of 21 victims have been identified so far and none of them are from Kerala. The victims included 13 children.

According to eyewitnesses, the tragedy occurred when the ill-fated boat 'Jalakanyaka' tilted after several tourists moved to one side on sighting elephants in the wildlife sanctuary on the banks of the lake. The injured were rushed to nearby hospitals in Periyar.

The tourists were mainly from outside Kerala mainly coming from Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh. 21 bodies have been identified. Some victims hailed from Delhi, Punjab and Kolkata. Unconfirmed reports said two foreigners whose nationality was not immediately known were also among the victims.

Eyewitnesses say the boat was narrow and toppled when the tourists rushed to one side apparently to see wild animals.

In a boat cruise on a lake that is dotted with tree stumps, some of them submerged, making it imperative that only experienced drivers navigate in the area.

Indiavision News