Tragic boat incident in India's Kerala kills 22

A tragic boat incident has claimed the lives of 22 people in South Indian state Kerala.

The incident took place after a double-decker boat capsized and sank near a beach in the state's Malappuram district on Sunday, NDTV reported.

According to the state government, the boat overturned around 7pm near the Tuvalthiram beach in Kerala's coastal town Tanur. Following the tragedy, the police said it has registered a case against the owner of the boat for "culpable homicide."

Even though the accurate number of passengers on the boat remains unknown, 40 are those who were travelling on a ticket while the numerous others had none.

It was also reported by NDTV that the boat lacked a safety certificate.

Rescue work is being conducted by India's National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and Indian Coast Guard with personnel tracking down missing passengers using underwater cameras.

The police is yet to ascertain the cause behind the accident.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has expressed grief and shock at the incident while announcing a compensation for victims' families.

"Pained by the loss of lives due to the boat mishap in Malappuram, Kerala. Condolences to the bereaved families. An ex-gratia of ₹ 2 lakh from PMNRF (Prime Minister's National Relief Fund) would be provided to the next of kin of each deceased," Modi tweeted.