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India tourist boat capsizes

January 26, 2014

At least 21 people are feared dead after a boat capsized in India's Andaman Sea in the Bay of Bengal. It was said to have been carrying dozens of people, including local tourists.

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Andaman and Nicobar islands - map

According to local media reports the boat sank at around 16:00 local time (10.30 a.m. UTC) on Sunday off the coast of Port Blair, the capital of the Andaman and Nicobar islands.

Top administrator P. Jawahar said 13 people had been rescued, news agency AP reported.

The agency said another 11 people are believed to be missing.

India's NDTV said the boat was carrying more than 40 people at the time of the accident.

In a statement, Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said he was shocked by the tragedy and "condoled the loss of lives."

Authorities have ordered an inquiry into the incident.

Boat accidents are relatively frequent in India, where the vessels are often poorly built and overcrowded.

The Andaman and Nicobar, made of some 572 islands, lie roughly 600 miles (1,000 kilometers) from mainland India.

ccp/jr (AFP, AP)