- By Santhosh Christy
- Malappuram
3 hours ago
Image Credit: Nebula MP/BBC
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Kunnummal Saithalavi and his brothers Siraj and Jabir lost their wives and children in the accident
On the evening of May 7, Kunnummal Saithalavi heard the sirens of ambulances heading for the coast of his city in the southern Indian state of Kerala and feared the worst.
Mr Saithalavi, 48, had tried unsuccessfully to contact his family. “I’ve tried them on three different cell phones they’ve used [but got no response],” he says.
Several members of his family had gone to Thooval Theeram, a popular tourist spot near an estuary in Tanur, a coastal town in Malappuram district.
The evening ended with terrible news for Mr. Saithalavi.
Eleven members of his family – including his wife and four children – were among the 22 people who died after a full tourist boat capsized here.
Mr. Saithalavi and his younger brother Kunnummal Siraj lived with their families and their mother in their ancestral home at Puthankadappuram, a few kilometers from Thooval Theeram.
Her sister was visiting the family when they decided to visit the tourist destination.
The family also invited their adoptive brother Kunnumal Jabir and his family, as well as their neighbor Ashifa and their two children to join them on the outing. The group of 19 went to the estuary on Sunday evening.
Mr Saithalavi says he came to his local family and spent some time with them before leaving to meet a friend who lives nearby.
“I warned them not to go boating because I was sure boating wouldn’t be safe at that point,” he says.
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A group of 19, which included Mr Saithalavi’s family and neighbor, had visited Thooval Theeram
His neighbor Ms. Ashifa, who had accompanied the family, said the group was about to return home that evening when the boat operators offered huge discounts on tickets and free tickets for children.
“It was an attractive offer,” she says. “We accepted it, but I changed my mind for security reasons.”
Mr. Saithalavi’s family boarded a double-decker boat ride.
But a few minutes later, Ms. Ashifa, who had been waiting for her with her children on the shore, found out about the accident. “I was in shock,” she says.
The boat was reportedly carrying about 50 people, or twice its capacity, when it capsized on Sunday night.
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Mr. Saithalavi and his friend rushed to the scene when calls to his family failed
The operator did not have permission to put the boat in the water after dark, The Indian Express newspaper reported.
Officials said overcrowding caused the boat to capsize. Many passengers were trapped under the ship. The darkening night sky hampered rescue efforts, local media said.
Mr Saithalavi was on the terrace of his friend NP Koya’s house at the time of the accident. When calls to his family didn’t get through, they both rushed to the coast.
“I feared something tragic had happened to my family,” says Saithalavi.
Arriving at the estuary, they took a boat docked on the shore and rushed to rescue accident victims.
“By the time we reached the site in our small boat, many others had come to help with the rescue,” says Mr. Koya. “He [Saithalavi] was in a panic when we reached the spot.
Mr Saithalavi says he is sure his family got trapped under the boat and jumped into the water. He brought a body back to the boat only to find it was his niece.
“When he realized that the body we recovered belonged to his niece, he lost all confidence,” says Mr. Koya. Dazed with shock, Mr. Saithalavi was brought back to shore.
Mr Saithalavi had four daughters and his brother Mr Siraj had three, including an eight-month-old baby. He and Mr Siraj lost their wives and children in the accident. Her brother Mr. Jabir also lost his wife and son.
Four members of the family survived the accident – their sister Nusrat, their 18-month-old daughter Ayisha and two of Mr Jabir’s children, Jarsha and Janna. You are being treated in a hospital.
Mr Saithalavi’s niece, Ummu Habeeba KP, says his daughters have been his strength. “They always told him that by studying hard they would help him get good jobs,” she says.
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Eleven members of Mr Saithalavi’s family were buried this week
His eldest daughter Hasna had dreamed of becoming a doctor and was waiting for the results of her high school exams.
Ms. Habeeba says the family have been trying to build a house for three years. Her current home didn’t have enough space for everyone, as the family’s children slept in the kitchen due to lack of space.
“The children left the world, leaving behind the dream of providing their parents with a good life and a good home,” says Ms. Habeeba.
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