Karwar: Even after six days of the boat tragedy in Karwar, a boy still remains untraced. Search for him is on by various security agencies, including Indian Navy, in the Arabian sea off Karwar coast. Till Saturday evening, 15 bodies were fished out.
A boat carrying 35 people, including crew, capsized in the sea on Monday when it was returning to Karwar mainland from Kurmagad Island. All of them were returning after participating in the Lord Ugranarasimha car festival in the island. As many as 15 people drowned while 19 were rescued. A child is still missing.
Eight bodies were recovered from the sea on the day of the incident. On Tuesday, six bodies were traced and another body was recovered from the sea off Ankola coast on Wednesday evening. The Indian Navy, Indian Coast Guard and Coastal Security Police have deployed their vessels and helicopters for search operation. Apart from them, civil police, lifeguards and fishermen are also engaged in rescue operation in the sea as well as Kali river. Eight people of a family from Hosur village in Shiggaon taluk of Haveri district drowned to death and 10-year-old Sandeep is still missing
Deputy Commissioner S S Nakul said on Saturday that all security troops, including Indian Navy and ICG, are engaged in search operation while CSP, lifeguards and civil police are searching on the beach for missing persons.
Uttara Kannada District Minister R V Deshpande has finally announced `5 lakh compensation to the kin of each deceased from the Chief Minister’s fund. On the day of the incident, the minister had announced `2 lakh compensation. Following which, Deshpande and his government were severely criticised by local people and various organisations. Some people had also staged protests alleging step-motherly treatment by Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy. They said the CM had announced `5 lakh compensation to the kin of deceased when tragedies occurred in Mandya and Chamarajanagara, but he announced just `2 lakh t0 families of victims of boat tragedy occurred in North Karnataka.
On Thursday late evening, Deshpande after getting nod from the CM, announced `5 lakh compensation to the kin of each deceased.