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At least 21 people have drowned after a double-decker tourist boat capsized in India’s southern state of Kerala, local authorities have said, The Guardian reported.

The boat was carrying about 40 inbound passengers when it overturned off the coastal town of Tanur because it was overcrowded, said Abdul Nazar, Malappuram district’s junior superintendent of police.

Most of the victims were children on school holidays, Kerala’s minister for fisheries and harbour development said. V Abdurahiman told reporters the death toll from the tragedy on Monday was likely to rise as the boat was stuck in muddy waters and was being pulled out to rescue those trapped inside.

About 10 passengers were being treated in various hospitals, Nazar said. Four people were taken there in a critical condition, the PTI news agency quoted Abdurahiman as saying.

Survivors told local media that many of the passengers were not wearing life jackets, according to The Guardian.

Monday has been declared a day of official mourning, PTI reported, quoting a government statement.

The incident in the Malappuram district took place at about 7pm local time on Sunday and a team from the National Disaster Response Force was at the site, a Kerala State Disaster Management Authority spokesperson said.

India’s prime minister, Narendra Modi, said in a tweet he was “pained by the loss of lives” and announced compensation for the victims’ families.

Boating accidents are common in India, where many vessels are overcrowded and have inadequate safety equipment, The Guardian reported.

In September 2020, 12 people drowned when a sightseeing boat capsized on the swollen Godavari River in the southern state of Andhra Pradesh. In May 2018, 30 people died when a boat capsized in the same region.

Nepal reported 32 new Covid-19 cases on Sunday. According to the Ministry of Health and Population, 304 swab samples were tested in the RT-PCR method, of which eight returned positive. Likewise, 1, 660 people underwent antigen tests, of which 24 returned positive. The Ministry said that no one died of the virus in the last 24 hours and 12 infected people recovered from the disease. As of today, there are 133 active cases in the country.

Police have arrested 10 Indian nationals who acquired Nepali citizenship by submitting false information. They were apprehended from the various places of Kathmandu, police said. Manoj KC, Chief at the Crime Investigation Office of the Valley said that they had obtained citizenship from Tarai districts by submitting fake documents at various times. Nepali citizenship, voter identity cards, passports and Indian Adhar Cards among others were recovered from the possession. The arrestees have been identified as Bharat Prasad Gupta (55), Rahul Gupta (30), Gyanmati Devi Gupta (50) and Gopal Gupta (50) of Bihar, India and currently residing at Sankhamul. Similarly, other detainees have been identified as Ram Sundar Gupta (44) of  Bihar and presently living at Lagankhel, Ram Prabesh Gupta (43) of Gongabu, Bharat Gupta (46) of Kalanki, Snehalata Gupta (42), Mindevi Gupta (49), and Rajesh Kumar Gupta (52). Police said that they had acquired the citizenship issued from the District Administration Office Rupandehi, Bara and Parsa among others. Police said that their names have been on the Indian Voter ID card since 2021 till now.  

Two boys drowned while bathing in a pond at Basahiya of Janakpurdham Sub-Metropolitan City-24, Dhanusha district on Saturday. According to Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Bed Prasad Gautam of District Police Office, Dhanusha, the deceased have been identified as Mohammad Alkama Ansari (9) and Mohammad Abdul Ansari (9). The boys were sent to the Provincial Hospital in Janakpurdham immediately after the incident but died while receiving treatment, according to DSP Gautam.