Tanur boat mishap: Two port officials taken into custody, arrest soon

Kozhikode: Weeks after the tragic leisure boat accident in Tanur, the team probing the case took two port officials into custody. They are Prasad, a Beypore port conservator, and Sebastian, a surveyor.

Last month, a double-decker boat, Atlantic, carrying more than 30 passengers, capsized near the Thoovaltheeram beach in Tanur, leaving 22 dead and several others injured.

The accident caused a major public uproar over the lack of safety standards on boats and raised doubts over corruption among various bodies of the Kerala Government. The port authorities and local government bodies were arraigned for letting the boat conduct services by flouting norms and without obtaining proper documentation.

On Monday, a special team probing the case took the port officials into custody. Sebastian is tasked to conduct an inspection of the boat. The officials would examine whether both these officials failed to discharge their duties.