A Kerala native who went missing in the recent boat tragedy off the coast of Mozambique has been confirmed dead, parliamentarian N.K. Premachandran said here on Monday.

Premachandran said director-general of shipping Shyam Jagannathan had confirmed that 35-year-old Sreerag Radhakrishnan’s body had been identified.

Sreerag from Thevalakkara in Kollam district and 22-year-old Indrajith from Piravom in Ernakulam district were reported missing after the boat carrying them to a tanker for maintenance work capsized on October 16.

There were 21 people on board the boat, including 14 Indians, at the time of the
accident.

“There is no confusion prevailing on the missing Keralites. Initially five crew members were missing. Four are still missing, including Indrajith. Efforts are on to repatriate Sreerag’s body at the earliest,” Premachandran said.

Sreerag is survived by parents P.P. Radhakrishna Pillai and Sheela, wife Jithu and daughters Anaswara, 9, and Athithi, 5. He had been working at Scorpio Marine Maritime Management Enterprises Shipping Company in Mozambique for four years. A relative said Sreerag had been in Kollam for six months before returning to Mozambique on October 14.

“The last time he called home was on Tuesday. Sreerag was the sole earning member of his family,” a family member said.

CPM Rajya Sabha member John Brittas had written to external affairs minister S. Jaisankar seeking immediate intervention and deployment of navy vessels to aid the rescue of missing Indians. Brittas had highlighted that rescue operations by Mozambican authorities were underminded by limited deep sea machinery.