Family members of the crew of a coastal sailing vessel registered in Thoothukudi submitted a petition in the Collector’s office on Saturday as they reportedly went missing near Karai Island near Lakshadweep on Wednesday. The family members said the vessel, which went from Thoothukudi to Mangalore with construction material, continued its journey from Mangalore to Karai Island with a another consignment.
When the vessel was about to reach the destination, the sea became rough because of the cyclone and the seven-member strong crew anchored the vessel at the outer harbour.
As the rope connecting the anchor got snapped in the gusty wind, the vessel started drifting. Though the crew could initially contact the harbour authorities and the family members through the mobile phones and other communication gadgets immediately after this incident, communication remains cut-off now, making the search operations difficult.
The family members have urged the State and the Central governments to take steps to locate the crew.
Even as Fisheries Minister D. Jayakumar claimed that over 800 fishermen were safe in Karnataka, Gujarat and Lakshadweep, the family members urged the government to reveal more details about where they are located, and provide them with contact details.
Since the fishermen who had ventured into the sea from Colachel, Thengaaipattinam, Chinna Muttom and Muttom fishing harbours failed to return to their base as scheduled, there was tension in the coastal hamlets of the district. Urging the State and the Central governments to launch intensive search operations immediately to locate the missing fishermen, their relatives, led by Killiyoor MLA Rajesh Kumar, staged a road roko at Chinnadurai village on Saturday.
