A group from Tiruchi had come to their native place of Azhagammanpuram for a temple festival.

Nine people, including five women and three children, of a group were killed as a boat capsized on Sunday evening in the sea at Manappad, about 50 km from Thoothukkudi.

According to locals, the group from Tiruchi, which had come to their native place of Azhagammanpuram for a temple festival, visited the coastal village on Sunday evening and hired a fibreglass boat around 6 p.m.

The boat had sailed just 25 metres from the shore when it overturned.

“Since the sea was rough on Sunday, heavy tides might have lashed the boat violently. The occupants would have panicked and started moving in the 32-foot-long and 5-foot-wide boat, leading to the boat capsizing,” said W. Pradeepan, former panchayat union councillor from Manappad.

Fishermen rushed to rescue the tourists and the victims were rushed to the Tiruchendur Government Hospital and a few nearby private hospitals, but the doctors declared them ‘brought dead’.

Police and Fire and Rescue Services personnel from Tiruchendur reached the Manappad beach.

Collector M. Ravikumar, who rushed to Tiruchendur along with Superintendent of Police Ashwin M. Kotnis, monitored the medical assistance extended to the victims.