Rescue teams search for a person who had gone missing in the Vembanad lake near Vaikom after a canoe capsized on Monday afternoon.
| Photo Credit: VISHNU PRATHAP
A boat capsized in the Vembanad ake near Kattikkunnu, Vaikom on Monday afternoon (July 28), leaving one person missing. The incident occurred around 2 p.m. while a group was returning after attending a funeral at Poothotta.
According to reports, there were about 23 people on board. All but one have been rescued. The missing individual has been identified as Kannan alias Sumesh and a search operation is currently underway. Eyewitness accounts suggested Sumesh had succeeded in saving five people but reportedly became exhausted and was unable to swim to safety.
Those rescued were immediately admitted to a hospital in Vaikom for observation and treatment.
The boat overturned not far from the shore. The passengers, mostly residents of Aroor and Panavally, were returning from a funeral held at Thuruthel, near Chembu. The cause of the accident was yet to be ascertained.
A rescue boat from the State Water Transport Department was pressed into service as part of the search operation. Despite efforts involving multiple boats, Sumesh was yest to be traced. Authorities from the Alappuzha and Kottayam district administrations are coordinating efforts and the Navy may be called in if the situation demands, officials said.
Published – July 28, 2025 08:56 pm IST
