One more fishing boat, anchored on Pamban north seashore, caught fire on Wednesday night. Fishermen, however, put out the fire in time and averted a major mishap.
Two days after a country boat, used for deep sea fishing, was gutted in a major fire when it was anchored on the seashore, the mechanised boat caught fire on Wednesday night, in which the cabin room was damaged.
A. Lintan, the boat owner, said the boat was anchored four days ago after returning from fishing, and they carried out some repair in the boat on Wednesday evening. The fire broke out in the boat around 9.30 p.m. Soon after noticing the fire, the fishermen who were on the shore rushed to the spot and put out the fire, he said. The engine room was destroyed in the fire, he said, adding the cause of the fire was not immediately known.
Ruling out sabotage, P.S. Ramesh Kumar, Inspector of Police, Coastal Security Group (CSG), said a mechanical fault could have triggered the fire. The boat owner had not lodged any complaint, he said.
After a country boat was destroyed in a fire on Monday, the CSG stepped up patrolling in the coastal areas, where boats were anchored, he said.
Mechanical fault
is suspected to
have triggered
the fire
