One killed after two houseboats go up in flames

One person was killed after two houseboats went up in flames in Kerala's tourist location of Alappuzha.

Investigations are on to establish the cause of the fire, police said today.

Representational pic

"Three houseboats were docked at the site. Two were gutted in the fire. The third was moved away before the flames could reach it. A casual worker who was sleeping in one of the boats died," said Tomy Pulikattil, a leading houseboat operator in Alappuzha who witnessed the fire.

Five fire engines fought the blaze. The loss is estimated at Rs 70 lakh.

The accident happened at a time when tourists were visiting the state in large numbers in view of Onam. More than 400 houseboats in Alappuzha have been serving visiting tourists.

The accident comes close on the heels of a gas tanker explosion in Kannur on Monday.u00a0