A mechanised fishing boat caught fire in the sea about one and a half nautical miles off Thoothukudi fishing harbour around 11 a.m. on Tuesday. The fire was caused by a stove when the fishermen were preparing food on board the boat.
However, all the four fishermen escaped unhurt, sources said. Responding to a rescue call at 12.10 p.m., Fire and Rescue Services personnel rushed to Thoothukudi fishing harbour and extinguished the fire that had almost destroyed the entire wooden deck of the boat by the time, Thoothukudi Station Fire Officer C. Shanmugam, who led the operation, said.
Fire service personnel, with the aid of three fire tenders, doused the blaze after struggling for about 20 minutes, he said.
According to Inspector of Fisheries (Thoothukudi) T. Vijayaraghavan, the incident occurred near the entry channel of the seaport.
The fishermen on a fibre boat, who were fishing nearby, rushed to the rescue of the four fishermen on the ill-fated boat and evacuated them.
The survivors were taken to the shore and the damaged boat was towed to the harbour, Mr. Vijayaraghavan told The Hindu .
The sources said the incident occurred when the boat was on a trial run. The boat remained anchored for some days, and after overhauling was completed it set out for the sea.
Sparks from the stove could have reached the diesel motor engine of the boat and caused the fire, the sources added.
