Thiruvananthapuram, May 9 (). Alleging serious lapses in the Tanur boat tragedy, the Kerala BJP has accused state Tourism Minister P.A. Resignation of Mohammad Riyas has been sought.
State BJP President K. Surendran said no proper action was taken after the Thekkady tragedy in 2009 in which 45 people, mostly from other states, drowned at a popular destination. Surendran claimed that the Tanur tragedy could have been avoided if proper action had been taken on the basis of the Thekkady tragedy report.
The BJP leader said, Riyas will have to resign taking moral responsibility. Had proper action been taken, 22 lives could have been saved. There are only rhetoric and advertisements in Kerala.. There are no effective guidelines for the operation of houseboats.. No one knows how many houseboats are there in Kerala or whether there is any effective monitoring of them.
There is no system in place to prevent such tragedies as no one is interested in safety, Surendran said. We demand action based on proper inquiry and investigation.
The boat that sank, the Atlantic, was a modified fishing boat. Necessary safety protocols were not followed in this. Recently its license was revoked.
Apart from the children, there were 40 people on the boat. At least 22 people died in the accident, while the rescued people are undergoing treatment in various hospitals.
One person is missing and authorities are trying to locate him.
akj
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