The incident happened at 6.20 am
Vehicles being taken out from the jhankar, which lost control and drifted away towards the sea mouth, after it was brought back to the jetty using a tug of Cochin Port Trust on Saturday. (Photo: DC)
Kochi: Panic seized Fort Kochi and Vypin on Saturday after the jhankar operating on the route drifted away due to an engine fault.
The vessel, jam-packed with people and vehicles, floated around for nearly two hours and moved towards the sea mouth before fishing boats brought it to the anchorage.
The incident happened at 6.20 am on its way from Fort Kochi. Since the refitted barge ‘Pappy’ was taken out for maintenance work, people were solely depending on the jhankar.
“It was full, and as it reached midway, near the shipping canal, the engine stopped. It started drifting towards the sea. Fear-gripped passengers shouted for help,” said passenger Sadanandan, a Fort Kochi native.
“Its shutter was also damaged. The shrank then continuously sounded the horn to alert fishing boats. By then, the jhankar drifted nearly 5 km away from the route in low tide and reached the sea mouth.”
Soon, four to five fishing vessels arrived and pulled it to nearby LNG jetty around 9 am.
A Port Trust tug and Marine Enforcement boats brought the vessel back to the Fort Kochi after the fishing boats took the commuters to the shore safely.
People here are yet to come to terms with the August 26 tragedy in which 11 passengers drowned.
Meanwhile, the Vypeen-Fort Kochi Ferry Passengers Association demanded the Kochi Corporation to operate the ferry and jhankar service directly instead of leasing out to contractors.
“There were many similar incidents in the past with the contractors operating unfit jhankars,” said Francis Chammani, its president.
( Source : deccan chronicle )
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