Eight boat passengers, including two children, died when a passenger boat sank after it collided with a fishing boat in the Kochi backwaters near Fort Kochi on Wednesday afternoon.
Eighteen passengers, rescued from the water, have been hospitalised. Rescue agencies are currently searching for passengers who might be missing.
The passenger boat, which carried around 25 passengers, was on its way from the Fort Kochi jetty to Vypeen Island when it was hit by a speeding fishing boat. The passenger boat split into two throwing all the passengers overboard. Local people, other fishing boats, and police helped rescue 18 passengers who were immediately taken to the Fort Kochi government hospital. The boat wreckage was salvaged.
The Coast Guard, Navy, the fire force and other agencies are engaged in rescue operations.