Death toll in India boat tragedy rises to 22

The death toll in Sunday's boat tragedy in the southern Indian state of Andhra Pradesh has risen to 22, officials said on Tuesday.

"With the recovery of three more bodies in the past 24 hours, the death toll now stands at 22. Some 16 injured are being treated at a government hospital," a senior police official said.

The boat overloaded with tourists capsized in the Krishna river in the state's Vijaywada district, some 275 km from capital Hyderabad, late Sunday night.

There were some 38 people on the boat. While 16 bodies were fished out of the waters that evening, three more were recovered early Monday morning.

Meanwhile, preliminary probe has suggested that the boat did not have the necessary licence to operate in the river. The boat belongs to a private tourist agency.

A video has also emerged which shows that a state tourism official warning the boat's driver against taking passengers onto the river Krishna, minutes before the tragedy.

"The boat's operator did not have the necessary permission to ferry people. Strict action is being mulled against the operator for the deaths of so many people," said another official.

(ASIA PACIFIC DAILY)