Two tourists killed as boat capsizes near Kodibengre in Udupi

Udupi ;Two tourists lost their lives and several others were injured after a tourist boat carrying visitors capsized in the Arabian Sea near Kodibengre in Udupi district on Sunday morning. The accident occurred when the boat encountered strong sea waves near the estuary mouth, leading to the vessel overturning suddenly.

The victims were part of a group of 28 BPO call centre employees from Saraswathipuram in Mysuru who had arrived in Udupi for a leisure trip. The group had boarded two tourist boats, with 14 passengers in each, for a sea ride. One of the boats ran into rough sea conditions near the Kodibengre estuary and capsized.

Local residents and fishermen who noticed the incident rushed to the spot and carried out rescue operations. All the passengers were pulled out of the sea and shifted to safety. Four tourists, identified as Shankarappa aged 22, Sindhu aged 23, Dharmaraj aged 26 and Disha aged 26, were reported to be in critical condition and were taken to nearby hospitals for treatment.

Shankarappa and Sindhu later succumbed to their injuries, while the condition of Dharmaraj and Disha remains serious. Several other tourists suffered minor injuries and were treated at local medical facilities.

Preliminary information suggests that life jackets had been provided to the passengers before the boat ride from Delta Beach. However, it was found that some tourists were not wearing the safety gear at the time of the accident. Police are investigating whether safety norms were violated and whether the boat was allowed to operate despite rough sea conditions.

The incident occurred within the limits of Malpe Police Station. The tourist boats involved in the incident are owned by Suhan and Sufiyan. Police have registered a case and further investigation is underway.

The tragic incident has once again highlighted concerns over safety practices in tourist boat operations along the Udupi coast.