A fire broke out on a houseboat at Marthandam backwaters here on Sunday.
The police said that the boat was at anchor and there was no casualty. The incident occurred around 2 p.m.
“The two-bed room houseboat was cruising with two British tourists. It was later anchored for lunch break. Both tourists and houseboat crew were outside when the mishap occurred. The initial efforts by crew and local people to douse the flames failed. Later, Fire and Rescue Services personnel from Alappuzha reached the spot and brought the blaze under control after battling it for 45 minutes. The boat was gutted and it sank,” said an official.
The preliminary loss is estimated at ₹65 lakh.
