Rescuers search for survivors after a boat capsized off the coastal town of Tanur in the Malappuram district of the southern state of Kerala, India, May 7, 2023. REUTERS/STRINGER

A double-decker boat carrying more than 30 passengers capsized in an accident Sunday night off a beach in the southern Indian town of Tanur in Kerala state's Malappuram district. More than 22 people, including children, died, officials said.

The tourist boat capsized near the estuary of the Poorappuzha River in Tanur, and most of the passengers were tourists. Police officer Abdul Nazar said authorities were investigating the cause of the accident and it appeared the boat capsized due to overcrowding.

A man who was on the boat told the Manorama News channel it was listing soon after the trip started, according to the Reuters news agency. "Most of the people on the upper deck jumped into the river and swam to safety," the man, identified as Shafeeq, told the station.

The dead included children who had come for a ride on the boat during their school vacation, Sports Minister V. Abdurahiman told the Press Trust of India news agency, adding that four people in critical condition were admitted to a hospital.

Rescue teams were expecting to recover more bodies from inside the boat after pulling it ashore from the muddy waters, Nazar said.

India's National Disaster Response Force and Indian coast guard personnel were engaged in rescue work and trying find those who were still missing, Nazar said.

The state's chief minister, who will visit the area Monday, tweeted his condolences to the victims' families and urged the district's authorities to oversee the rescue.

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

Prime Minister Narendra Modi said he was "pained by the loss of lives" and announced compensation to the victims' families in a tweet.

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

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.

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