CM announces Rs 2 lakh solatium to boat mishap victims

Soon after the boat mishap incident, chief minister Edappadi Palaniswami has announced Rs two lakh each to the family of the dead.

In a statement, he expressed deep condolences and said Rs two lakh each would be given to the kin of the dead and Rs 50,000 each to the injured.

District Collector M Ravikumar, who visited the spot, said all the victims were tourists, who had hired the fibre glass fishing boat for a fun ride that led to the tragedy.

He said 19 people were rescued and taken to hospitals, where nine of them were declared brought dead.

Shortly after the tourists set sail, the boat was caught in a tidal wave and capsized. The passengers in the boat raised an alarm and local fishermen rushed to the spot.

This is the first major boat accident in Tamil Nadu after the one that occurred at Pulicat lake on December 25, 2011 killing 22 persons.