Tanur (Malappuram): On Sunday evening, Athika Kottil's two little children, and five nieces and nephews kept pressing her to take them for an outing. The young homemaker, who was visiting her parent's house, relented at last and told them she had the perfect place on her mind: Thooval Theeram, the bustling estuary of Poorapuzha River with recreational boats.
By the time the family of 16 persons, including the seven children, got ready and reached Thooval Theeram -- next to Ottupuram Beach -- it was past 6.40 pm. The sun has set. But the fairy lights on 'Atlantic' were still on. The men on the boat were calling out to the visitors for the last trip of the day. "The children were excited," she said. But Athika, wife of fisherman Ashraf Ottumpurath, found something amiss about the boat. "It was crowded and tipping to one side," she said.
She took the hard decision to let it pass. "But the men on the boat said they will allow all 16 of us on the boat for Rs 500," Athika said. She did not budge and asked the reluctant kids to turn around. "The boatmen then shouted Rs 300. Just three hundred for all of us," she said. It was tempting but the boat was crowded. "And I have this fear of the dark. So I promised the kids to bring them here next Sunday," she said.
Around 7 pm -- one hour past the deadline for boat trips -- Atlantic left the estuary for the last trip. Ten minutes into the upstream journey, the phones of several fishermen in Ottumpuram fishing village started buzzing.
Atlantic had turned turtle, sinking the lives of 22 persons -- 15 children, five women, and two men.
The fishermen reached the upturned boat by 7.20 pm. "We were pulling out only dead bodies from the boat," said Mohammed U P (46), one of the first responders.
The boat master Dineshan, his deputy Rajan, who was luring in more guests with discounted tickets, and around 15 persons on the deck of the boat survived.
"Those who were standing and sitting inside the boat died," said Ismail K (30), another rescuer. "We had to break the window panes to get inside," he said.
Mufeer K P (32), a rescuer, suffered a long gash on his leg and required 10 stitches. A glass shard pierced through the hand of Said Ali Koya (24) and cut the veins. "This is a close-knit fishing village. They did not think twice before jumping in to rescue the people. They did the same during the 2018 floods," said Nasar Kunhalakath, whose son Nasik K (27) also suffered injuries on the neck while trying to retrieve people from the boat in the dark.
But they are angry with the owner of Atlantic, Nassar Patarakath, for willfully ignoring their warnings of running a flawed boat with packed guests, and with Tanur police and Kerala Maritime Board (formerly Directorate of Ports) for ignoring their complaints against Atlantica.
Tourists flock to Thooval Theeram
Thooval Theeram became a popular weekend spot after the Department of Tourism installed a floating bridge at Ottupuram Beach.
But after the initial curiosity died down, Thooval Theeram started drawing in the crowd because of the four recreational boats. Nisar, who runs two eight-seater boats, said he had filed several complaints with Tanur Police and the Maritime Board against Atlantic but the officials never took action. "Atlantic was a fishing boat. It was modified at an illegal yard at Ponnani. I filed my complaint against this with the Port Authority in Kozhikode. I also complained to Tanur Police against overcrowding by Atlantic," he said.
Recently, his nephew Muhajil M P shot a video of guests alighting from a jam-packed Atlantic. "This boat plies along the coast. It has permission to take 10 or 20 people. But this one carries 45 people. It has no relevant paperwork or licence," Muhajil said while shooting the boat.
"There is no one to stop them. Rich people can do as they upto please", he said, before Dineshan, the boatmaster, shuts the camera.
The fishing boat cannot carry more than 15 persons but was carrying more than 35 persons.
On the day of Eid, the Tanur police stopped all boat services at Thooval Theeram and asked for documents. But the next day, the police allowed the boat to ply. "If the police had stood by their decision to stop the service, Sunday's tragedy would not have happened. If the Ports Department had acted on time, this tragedy would not have happened. They are the prime accused in the death of 22 people," he said.
13 of two families were wiped out
When the government's apathy and greed sank Atlantic, two brothers Saithalavi and Kunnummal Siraj from Parappanangadi, a municipal town 10km from Tanur, lost their wives and seven children. The deceased are Saithalavi's wife Zeenath (43), and children Hasna (18), Shafala (13), Shamna (12), and Fida Dilna (7); and Siraj's wife Rasina (27), their children Zahara (8), Naira (7), and Rushda (1). They all lived in the same house.
Their relative Jalsiya (45) and his son Jareer (12) are also dead, taking the toll to 11 from Saithalavi's family.
When Saithalavi dropped his family at the estuary, he had only one instruction for them: do not board the boat.
The boat accident also claimed the lives of Ayishabi (38) and her three children Adhila Sheri (13), Mohammed Adnan (10), and Mohammed Arshan (3) were killed. They were residents of Chettipadi in Parappanangadi. Ayishabi's three-year-old son Afrah was saved because he was flung off the boat. Rescuers also managed to save Ayishabi's mother Subaida.
Ayishabi used to work as a salesperson in a textile shop in Parappanangadi to make ends meet, said her former house owner Kunhalikutty K P. Her ailing mother Subaida (68) was her only support system after her abusive husband Sainul Abid walked out on her, he said. She had filed a police complaint against him.
Ayishabi used to earn only Rs 8,000. Subaida would get another Rs 1,100 from the Old Age Pension Scheme.
Subaiba would not let their troubles spoil her grandchildren's childhood, and frequently took them out, despite struggling with arthritis. On Sunday, she decided all of them should go out for boating.
Ayishabi's eldest son Adhil missed the boat ride because his father had taken him along to Palakkad.
Olappedika, another hamlet in Parappanangadi, is also grieving. Its resident Kattilpeediyakkal Siddeeque (35), his daughter Fathima Minha (12), and son Faisan (4), who went to Thooval Theeram, returned home covered in shroud.
