Tourist Boat Capsize at Kodibengre: Death Toll Rises to Three
Mangalore Today News Network
Malpe, Jan 27, 2026: The death toll in the tourist boat capsize incident at Kodibengre has risen to three, with another victim succumbing to injuries while undergoing treatment on Tuesday.
The deceased has been identified as Disha (23), a resident of Mysuru. Earlier, Shankarappa (27) of Harave village in Chamarajanagar district and Sindhu (25), a resident of Mooguru in Narsipur taluk of the same district, had lost their lives in the mishap. All three were employed at a BPO call centre in Mysuru.
The incident occurred around 12 noon on Monday at the estuary where the river meets the sea near the Hangarakatte shipbuilding area, close to Kodibengre Beach. 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.
According to police, the tourists set out for a sea ride around 10 am in two boats, carrying 14 persons each. 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 the tourists were wearing life jackets.
On receiving information, fishermen Nagaraj, Vishwanath Sriyan and Dinesh Karkera, who were in a nearby boat, rushed to the spot and rescued the tourists, bringing them safely to the shore. Four critically injured victims were shifted to Manipal Hospital, where two later succumbed despite treatment.
A case has been registered at the Malpe Police Station, and further investigation is underway.
Expressing deep condolence over the deaths, 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 ordered a thorough investigation into the incident.
Udupi MLA Yashpal Suvarna alleged that the tragedy was the result of negligence by the Tourism Department. He said that despite public complaints about tourist boats operating without proper licences and violating safety norms, no action had been taken, and stressed the need for strict safety measures to prevent such incidents.
Rescuer Nagaraj said that the presence of life jackets on some tourists made the rescue easier, adding that the incident could have resulted in a much bigger tragedy otherwise.
Superintendent of Police Hariram Shankar said cases would be registered against the boat owner and driver for negligence and failure to follow safety measures. He added that the police would investigate whether the boats had the necessary permissions and reiterated that tourist boats must mandatorily obtain approval from the Fisheries and Tourism departments.