The owner of the overcrowded boat carrying 51 tourists which capsized in the Andaman and Nicobar islands was among the three persons detained today even as a Union Minister said there were no life jackets and divers on board the vessel.

Conflicting claims were also made on the response to yesterday's mishap in which 21 people were killed with eyewitnessses saying there was a delay in the arrival of the marine rescue team while the local administration asserted rescue efforts were mounted as soon as the inputs came in.