21 killed as tourist boat sinks in India

A boat carrying local tourists capsized Sunday in India's Andaman Sea in the Bay of Bengal, killing 21 people, officials said.

The boat was carrying 43 people when it sank between Ross Island and North Bay near Port Blair, the capital of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands.

Some 13 survivors were pulled from the water after a search and rescue operation was launched.

Rescuers were looking for another 11 people believed to be missing, she said.

The boat sank off the eastern Andaman and Nicobar Islands, and police official Shahji said the tourists were all Indians.

Initial reports said the ferry developed a crack in the hull and sank, according to Shahji, who uses one name. Authorities ordered an inquiry.

Accidents are common in India as many ferries are poorly built and often overcrowded, with little regard for safety regulations.

The Andaman and Nicobar Islands are more than 600 miles (1,000km) from the Indian mainland and are flanked by the Andaman Sea to the east and the Bay of Bengal to the west.

Saturday 26 January 2014

http://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/21-die-tourist-boat-sinks-india-21996794