The body of one of the two people, who had gone missing in the Kottayam-Vaikom canal where a boat carrying the crew of Mathrubhumi News channel capsized on Monday, was found on Tuesday.
The body of the channel's Thalayaolaparambu regional correspondent K.K. Saji, 47, was fished out by the search team around 10am. Search is on for driver Bipin Babu, 27, of Kochuramuriyil, Kozhimala, Iraviperoor. Though the locals, fire and rescue team and scuba divers searched for the duo until 8pm on Monday, they could not be found.
Kottayam correspondent K.B. Sreedharan, 28; cameraman of Tiruvalla bureau Abhilash S. Nair, 26; and K.P. Abhilash, 40, of Abhilash Bhavan, Mundar were rescued by the locals soon after the incident. Abhilash, who was rowing the boat, has been admitted to the hospital at Muttuchira for observation. Sreedharan, who is under observation at HGM Hospital, Muttuchira, said the boat developed a leak on their return trip from Mundar.
The accident occurred when the team was returning after covering flood-related issues at Mundar around 1pm. Though all the five tried to save themselves by holding on to the boat, both Saji and Bipin lost grip before locals could rescue them. The channel crew had gone to Mundar, an area surrounded by water and 7 km away from Ezhumanthuruth, in two motorised country boats.