Malpe boat tragedy: Two dead, one critical after tourist boat capsizes near Kodibengre

Malpe boat tragedy: Two dead, one critical after tourist boat capsizes near Kodibengre

Mangalore Today News Network

Malpe, Jan 27, 2026: Two people were killed and two others seriously injured in a tourist boat mishap that occurred around 12 noon on Monday at the estuary where the river meets the sea near the Hangarakatte shipbuilding area, close to Kodibengre Beach.

The deceased have been identified as Shankarappa (27) of Harave village in Chamarajanagar district and Sindhu (25), a resident of Mooguru in Narsipur taluk of Chamarajanagar district. Disha (26) is in critical condition and is undergoing treatment in the ICU, while Dharmaraj (26) is reported to be stable. All of them were employed at a BPO call centre in Mysuru.

Taking advantage of a holiday, a group of 28 call centre employees had travelled by bus from Mysuru to Udupi on Sunday. After staying overnight at a homestay near Malpe, the group reached Kodibengre Delta Beach on Monday morning. They reportedly set out for a sea ride at around 10 am in two boats, with 14 persons in each boat.

At around noon, near Kodikanyana at the river–sea confluence, one of the boats was caught in strong waves and capsized, throwing all 14 passengers into the sea. It is learnt that only some of them were wearing life jackets.

On receiving information, Nagaraj, Vishwanath Sriyan and Dinesh Karkera, who were in a nearby boat, rushed to the spot and rescued the tourists from the water, bringing them safely to the shore. Four critically ill victims were shifted to Manipal Hospital, where two of them succumbed despite treatment.

A case has been registered at the Malpe Police Station, and an investigation is underway.

Minister orders inquiry

Expressing deep condolence over the deaths of two tourists in the Kodibengre boat tragedy, Women and Child Development and Udupi district in-charge Minister Lakshmi Hebbalkar prayed for the speedy recovery of the injured. She directed officials to ensure proper medical care for the victims and to conduct a thorough investigation into the incident.

“The deaths of tourists in the Kodibengre boat tragedy are a result of the negligence of the Tourism Department. Despite public complaints about tourist boats operating without proper licences and violating norms, no action was taken. Strict safety measures must be implemented to prevent such incidents in the future.”
— Yashpal Suvarna, Udupi MLA

“Since some tourists were wearing life jackets, it was easier to rescue them. Otherwise, they could have drowned in the deep waters, leading to a much bigger tragedy.”
— Nagaraj, Fisherman who took part in the rescue

“A case will be registered against the boat owner and driver for negligence and failure to take safety measures. We will investigate whether the boats had the necessary permissions. Tourist boats must mandatorily obtain approval from the Fisheries and Tourism departments.”
— Hariram Shankar, Superintendent of Police, Udupi