Malappuram: In a major breakthrough for the Special Investigation Team (SIT) probing the Tanur boat accident, two senior port officials were arrested in connection with the case on Tuesday.

Senior Port Conservator in charge of Beypore Port, V V Prasad, and Chief Surveyor at Alappuzha Port, Sebastian Joseph, are the officials who were taken into custody.

The arrest has revealed the failure on the side of the officials who allowed 'Atlantic' -- the boat which met with the accident -- to conduct service bypassing all formal norms.

According to police, Prasad helped Atlantic's owner P Nassar to commence service without earning a proper license.

Sebastian was responsible to ensure the safety of the boat. He did not conduct a proper safety check and did not even inspect whether a ladder was built to the boat deck.

"We have arrested two officials for failure to properly discharge their duties. We are not in a situation to reveal the reason behind the special interest of these officials to help Nassar start a boat service without proper documents. We have brought them to the office of SIT for interrogation", Tanur DySP V V Benni said.

The arrest strengthens the argument of the opposition parties that Nassar had political backing which helped him conduct service without obtaining proper documents or meeting standard safety norms.

The ill-fated boat, 'Atlantic', sank near the mouth of an estuary in Tanur in Kerala's Malappuram district on May 7.

Twenty-two people, including 15 children, died in the boat mishap at Thoovaltheeram.

Preliminary investigations revealed that 'Atlantic' was a remodelled fishing boat.