Boat capsizes tragedy: Death toll increases to 14

Team Udayavani, Jan 23, 2019, 7:44 AM IST

Karwar: The death toll in the boat tragedy has gone up to 14 with the recovery of six more bodies. One more person is still missing.

On Monday eight persons were drowned and seven went missing after a boat carrying devotees to Narasimha jatra in Kurmagad Island off Karwar capsized on Monday afternoon. A total of 33 persons were on the boat when it capsized. 

Many persons who survived in the accident said that there were at least five boats ferrying the people in the vicinity when the accident took place. But none of them came forward to help rescue the women and children who were in the waters. They alleged that some were busy shooting on their mobiles while the people and the boat were sinking.

Kurmagad, an island in the Arabian Sea, 3 km off Karwar coast, has a temple which opens for only two days in a year. More than 25,000 people visit the island every year to offer the puja. The devotees mainly comprise of the people from Coastal and North Karnataka, Goa and Maharashtra.