2 Dead as Boat Ferrying TV Journalists Capsizes in Kerala Floods
The media team had gone to cover the flood-hit areas near Vaikom when the incident occurred.
The bodies of two men, who had gone missing after the boat they were travelling in capsized in a canal near Vaikom, Kerala, were found on Tuesday, 24 July, PTI quoted local police as saying. Saji, a stringer for Mathrubhumi news channel, and Bipin, a driver employed with the channel’s Thiruvalla bureau, died when the boat in which the team members were travelling in capsized on Monday, 23 July.
Saji’s body was found after the diving teams of the fire force and the Navy resumed search operations on Tuesday, police said. His body was handed over to his relatives after the autopsy at the government medical college hospital in Kottayam.
The body of Bipin was found in the canal at 7.30 pm around 300 metres from the site of the accident. His body has been sent for autopsy, police told PTI.
Locals Come to the Rescue
Others on the boat, including Mathrubhumi channel's Kottayam staff reporter KB Sreedharan and cameraman Abhilash were rescued by locals.
Locals joined police and fire and rescue service personnel for the search operations, which also saw participation from a Naval disaster relief team, comprising five personnel.
Congress MP Shashi Tharoor expressed his condolences.
(With inputs from PTI)
(At The Quint, we are answerable only to our audience. Play an active role in shaping our journalism by becoming a member. Because the truth is worth it.)