A fisherman drowned when his boat capsized in heavy seas off the coast of Muthalapozhi harbour on the outskirts of Thiruvananthapuram city in Kerala on June 20 (Thursday).
The police identified the deceased as Victor, a resident of Anchuthengu. Local fishers rescued two others who were on the upended boat. The police identified them as Francis and Suresh Yesudas. Both were being treated for injuries at a local hospital.
Local fishers have blamed the recurring accidents at Muthalapozhi on the Kerala government’s alleged failure to prevent the harbour mouth from silting up through periodic dredging.
The underwater sandbar caused strong conflicting currents and powerful eddies that sucked fishing boats into their vortex, turning the harbour mouth into a death trap for fishers.
The local church blamed the breakwater construction, which protected the Vizhinjam port, for the unpredictable currents that destroyed lakhs of rupees worth of fishing equipment.
Union Minister of State for Fisheries George Kurian said the Central government prioritised mitigating risks for fishers setting out to the sea from Muthalapozhi.
Published - June 20, 2024 10:02 am IST