Malappuram: Six children drowned after their country boat capsized in backwaters near Ponnani Kole in Malappuram district on Tuesday.
Three more people, including the owner of the boat, have been rescued. They have been rushed to the hospital. The owner is said to be in a critical condition.
The children were relatives and had come here for a vacation when the tragedy struck them at Changrakkulam this evening, authorities said. The bodies of four girls and two boys, aged between four and 18, had been recovered, police said.
According to authorities, the accident occurred around 5.30pm. The boat, which was used for fishing, capsized 200 meters off the banks.
The children were going from one end of the backwater to the other as recreation when the accident happened. It is learnt that the children were related to the owner of the boat and had gone there for a vacation.
Malappuram District Collector Amit Meena and senior police officials visited the spot.
The State Human Rights Commission has suo motu registered a case and ordered a probe into the incident. A commission press release said the District Collector and police chief had been asked to file a report within three weeks.
Kerala Assembly speaker P Sreeramakrishnan, who represents the Ponnani constituency, in a statement condoled the death of the children and said the incident was very painful.
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