At least 16 drown after boat capsizes in India's Kerala

(Reuters) - At least 16 people drowned after a boat capsized in the Malappuram district of India's southern state of Kerala, the state's minister for fisheries and harbour development, V. Abdurahiman, said on Sunday.

Twelve bodies have been identified, he told reporters at the accident site, adding that the death toll was likely to rise as the boat was stuck in the mud and was being lifted and broken to rescue people trapped inside.

"Pained by the loss of lives due to the boat mishap in Malappuram, Kerala," Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi said in a tweet.

(Reporting by Jyoti Narayan and Jose Devasia; Editing by Sandra Maler)