Two members of a family were reportedly drowned while four others, including a 10-month-old girl, went missing after an overloaded coracle capsized in the Cauvery river near Hogenakkal Falls on Sunday.
According to reports, three other members of the family managed to swim to safety.
The incident occurred near Manalmedu, where the family had gone to celebrate the wedding anniversary of a couple.
"A nine-member family, including three children, went on a coracle ride from the boat house in Hogenakkal, and the boat capsized near Manalmedu," a senior police official told PTI.
The deceased have been identified as Gowri, 55, and three-year-old Darshan. The survivors are Rajesh, 30, his wife Gomathi, 29, and their son Sachin, 5, The Times of India reported.
Search operations are underway to find the four missing people--Krishnamoorthy (60), Ranjith Kumar (35), Kokila (30) and 10-month-old Suvetha--said R Janaki Raman, rescue officer at the Hogenakkal Rescue Station. Local divers, fire and rescue services and oarsmen are carrying out the rescue operations.
The authorities, however, feared that the missing people might also have drowned.
"We have laid nets near sand dunes and along the shore, up to 1km from the accident site. Our men would remain there until the bodies are retrieved. Meanwhile, we have registered an FIR and will investigate the case," Dharmapuri superintendent of police J Loganathan said.
The accident reportedly occurred when the family members "came together for a picture on the boat, causing it to topple", said oarsman V Muttiah.
Coracle services have been suspended temporarily in the area. "We've temporarily banned coracle ride at Hogenakkal until further orders," The New Indian Express quoted Dharmapuri collector K Vivekanandan as saying.
