With a resurgent southwest monsoon turning the sea rough, three more fishermen went missing off the south Kerala coast on Friday, taking the total number this week to seven.
Coast Guard and Marine Enforcement have launched a search for the three fishermen, all from Kanyakumari district of Tamil Nadu, who went missing off the Kollam coast. In neighbouring Thiruvananthapuram district, efforts continued on Friday to trace four men who went missing from Vizhinjam on Wednesday.
Battered by heavy waves, the boat carrying five fishermen from Tamil Nadu had broken up a few kilometres off Neendakara, Kollam, around 7 a.m., Friday, according to the Coastal Police, Neendakara. The boat had left Neendakara on Wednesday. It was wrecked while on its way back.
“Two men — Nicholas and Stalin — had held on to the wreckage and managed to swim ashore by 1 p.m. They have been admitted to the District Hospital. Three others, Raju, John Bosco and Sahayaraju, are missing,” Manjulal S., CI, Coastal Police, Neendakara, said. All five hail from Neerody in Kanyakumari district.
Search hampered
Parts of the wreckage have washed up near Sakthikulangara, the officer said. Choppy seas and heavy winds are, however, hampering the search for the missing men.
In Thiruvananthapuram, search operations are in progress to trace four fishermen who had left Vizhinjam on Wednesday. They have been identified as Louis and Benny from Puthiyathura and Yesudasan and Antony from Pulluvila. After they failed to report back on Thursday, the relatives had notified the authorities.
District Collector K. Gopalakrishnan held discussions with the local people who staged a protest near the Vizhinjam harbour on Friday. M. Vincent MLA, demanded that local fishermen be allowed to board Coast Guard and Marine Enforcement search vessels as they were more familiar with the fishing locations.
Warning to fishers
Several coastal areas including Valiyathura in Thiruvananthapuram and Chellanam in Ernakulam reported coastal erosion on Friday.
The India Meteorological Department has warned that sea conditions are likely to remain “rough to very rough” over the next few days. Strong winds with speeds reaching 40-50 kmph are likely over southwest and adjoining central Arabian Sea. Fishermen have been warned to stay away from these regions.
High waves in the range of 2.9 - 3.3 metres may be expected along the Kerala coast from Pozhiyoor to Kasaragod till Saturday midnight.
