Kollam: Six fishermen had a miraculous escape when a foreign ship rammed their traditional fishing boat in the international waters off Kollam shore on Saturday afternoon. The fishermen, who were thrown out of the wrecked boat, were later rescued by another fishing boat and brought to Neendakara. They were identified as Xavier from Pozhiyoor in Thiruvananthapuram, and Kulachal natives Saji, Alias, John Prabhu, Shyju and Remi Das.
The incident took place around 12.30 p.m. about 38 nautical miles off the Neendakara harbour when the Hong-Kong based cargo ship ‘KSL Anyang’ hit the boat ‘Arogya Annai’ registered under the name ‘Samuel’ and owned by Sahayam, a Kanyakumari native. The boat equipped with an onboard engine was destroyed totally, according to the coastal police.
The ship continued to sail after the accident. Fisheries Minister J. Mercykkutty Amma directed the Coast Guard to take the ship under custody. The Indian Navy from Kochi Naval base joined the Coast Guard to search for the ship. The authorities were trying to contact the crew on board the ship.
