Eight people are confirmed dead after a ferry boat capsized in a river in the southern Indian state of Karnataka on Monday afternoon, a local official said. 

Local media had earlier reported that the death toll was 16. 

The boat, reportedly carrying dozens of people, capsized near Karwar coast in the Karnataka state when it was returning from Kurumagad island in the Arabian Sea.

Local media said an annual fair was held in Kurumagad island.

Indian Navy (IN) and the Indian Coast Guard (ICG) are still searching for survivors in the area.