Tanur boat accident: Justice V K Mohanan Commission submits final report with safety recommendations

The second and final phase was completed. The 14-volume final report was handed over to Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan at his office on April 30, 2026. The final phase included 21 public consultation sessions across all 14 districts, statements from 821 persons, site visits to tourist and passenger boat jetties, expert opinions and departmental inputs using powers under the Commissions of Inquiry Act, and 141 recommendations to overhaul water transport safety and licensing protocols.

The first phase of the inquiry's report was submitted, examining the immediate circumstances of the accident and identifying individuals and institutions responsible. The commission conducted sittings in Tirur over 18 months, heard 51 witnesses, and examined 91 documents.

A tourist vessel carrying passengers capsized at the Poorappuzha estuary in Tanur, Malappuram district, resulting in 22 deaths (including 15 children, five women, and two men). Investigations later found that the boat had been operating at night in violation of norms and that structural deficiencies in the vessel contributed to the accident.