People at Kodi Bengre beach near Malpe watched the spot where a boat carrying 14 people from Mysuru capsized, killing two on Monday. | Photo credit: UMESH S. SHETTIGAR
Two people died and two others are in critical condition after a boat carrying 14 people from Mysuru capsized in a river estuary near Hangarkatte Ship Building area in Udupi district on Monday.
Udupi police gave the names of the deceased as Shankarappa, 27, and Sindhu, 23. Dharmaraja, 26, and Deesha, 26, were in critical condition, police said.
According to preliminary information gathered by the police, 14 persons from Saraswatpuram, who work at a call center in Mysuru, were visiting Udupi. On January 26, they boarded the boat at Malpe Delta Beach. The ship belonged to Waveriders, a company that operates boats for tourists. While all 14 hikers were given life jackets, only a few wore them. Around noon, while the ship was moving towards Kodi Kanyana, it capsized near the Hangarkatte Ship Building area, where the Swarna river flows into the sea.
All 14 people were transferred to other boats and taken to shore. Two people died and two of the survivors are in critical condition, police said.
Udupi Superintendent of Police Hariram Shankar said a case has been registered against the owner and captain of the boat. An investigation is underway as to whether the ship has the necessary permits to operate as a tourist ship.
In a statement, Udupi MLA Yashpal Suvarna attributed the death of the two tourists to the negligence of the tourism department and its failure to act against dangerous tourist boats.
In a statement, the MLA said that despite people’s complaints about tourist boats operating without necessary permits and using fake documents, no action has been taken so far by the tourism section. At Malpe beach, the department that collects parking fees has failed to deploy lifeguards and keep the beach clean.
Published – 26 Jan 2026 17:59 IST
