8 drown when boat capsizes in river in southern India

BANGALORE, India – At least eight people drowned when their boat capsized in a river in southern India on Monday as they were returning home from a religious festival on a nearby island, police said.

Police officer Patil Vinayak said 18 people were rescued from the river in Karwar area in Karnataka state.

Indian navy spokesman D.K. Sharma said in a tweet that coast guard rescuers and a Dornier aircraft were searching for one missing person. He said eight bodies have been recovered from the river.

Vinayak said the villagers were returning to their island homes when the boat sank. The cause of the accident was not immediately known.

The region is about 520 kilometres (325 miles) northwest of Bangalore, the state capital.

Such accidents are common in India, where many boats are overcrowded and operate without proper safety equipment.

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This story has been corrected to show site of boat accident is Karwar instead of Dharwad, fixes distance from state capital.