As many as 10 fishing boats, including eight large boats and two smaller ones, six motorcycles and five fishing nets were gutted in a fire that broke out in the dockyard of Gangolli fishing harbour in Udupi district on Monday, November 13. There was no human casualty.
The tragedy took place at about 10 a.m. when a pooja of the boats anchored at the dock was being done in light of the Deepavali festival. Police said that some locals claimed that the fire broke out due to the bursting of firecrackers as the spark ignited the thatched roof of a boat, which spread to other boats anchored nearby and two-wheelers parked at the yard and fishing nets kept at the yard.
A fire tender each from Kundapura, Udupi and Byndoor reached the spot soon and put off the fire at around 2 p.m. A fire officer said personnel worked till evening to put off small embers of fire noticed in the damaged boats.
The police said exact cause of the fire will be known following reports by forensic experts, who have collected samples of damaged material.
Fisheries, Ports and Inland Water Transport Minister Mankal Vaidya visited the spot along with officials in the evening.
