Thekkady, October 01: The toll in the Thekkady boat mishap climbed to 39 with eight more bodies being fished out today even as the Kerala government ordered a judicial inquiry into the tragedy.
The mishap occurred when the state-run double decker boat ‘Jalakanyaka’ carrying 74 tourists tilted after several tourists moved to one side on sighting elephants in the Periyar Wildlife Sanctuary on the banks of the lake yesterday.
A team of rescuers which included divers have extricated 39 bodies from the partly submerged boat, officials said.
The toll may go up as some more people are yet to be traced, they said, adding, the search operation continued in the morning hours.
Kerala Chief Minister V S Achuthanandan said a judicial inquiry will be conducted into the mishap.
The service of a Kerala High Court sitting judge would be sought for the probe, he told reporters.
—-PTI–