KOCHI:The floods in the state affected many people, displaced lakhs and killed hundreds.However, for the families of the seven fishermen, who were on-board the fishing boat Oceanic which collided with a ship and sunk in the Arabian Sea 23 days ago, the floods came as a double whammy. For the Navy, which was engaged in search for the fishermen had to cut short the operation to aid in flood relief and rescue. The families, say officers, are distraught.
Oceanic had set off from the Munambam harbour with 14 fishermen on board. While two of them were rescued, the bodies of five fishermen were recovered in the ensuing search operations.The search operations were progressing in full swing till August 14. However, the sea turned rough on August 15 due to heavy rain and the Navy and Coast Guard had to stop the search. The heavy downpour then triggered the worst flood Kerala witnessed in a century and the focus shifted towards flood rescue and relief.
Who are the missing men?
Of the seven missing fishermen are Rajesh and Jinesh, brothers of Yesupalan, the captain of the fishing boat. Yesupalan’s body was recovered on August 13.The other missing men are Sahayaraj, Saalu, Paulson, Arun, all natives of Ramanthurai in Tamil Nadu’s Kanyakumari district and Bipul Das, a native of West Bengal.
The Navy had deployed INS Sutlej, a survey ship specialising in underwater search operations, and search and rescue ship INS Nireekshak which located the wreckage of a boat near the collision site.
The Navy and Coast Guard also recovered the remains of the missing boat’s wheel house.
“Though the Navy located the boat’s wreckage, its divers could reach only a depth of 50 m. The sea is 75 m deep at the collision site and the biggest question was how to recover the wreckage,” said Colachel Fisheries assistant director Ajith Stalin.
“The search was abandoned following the floods and the families of the missing fishermen are in distress. The Tamil Nadu Government has written to the Kerala Fisheries Department, the Navy and the Coast Guard seeking help to recover the wreckage,” Stalin said.
It was Desh Shakti
The Coastal Police had confirmed the ship involved in the mid-sea collision was Shipping Corporation’s crude oil tanker Desh Shakti. Mattanchery police inspector Santhosh had visited Mangaluru, conducted underwater scanning and identified the dented paint of Oceanic on the oil tanker’s hull. There were also scratches on the hull. The police had arrested Desh Shakti captain B S Ahluwalia, a New Delhi native, second captain Nandkishore Garu of Rajasthan and seaman Rajkumar of Bihar. The trio was interrogated and produced before the Judicial First Class Magistrate Court I in Ernakulam and were released on bail later. However, the court had ordered the detention of Desh Shakti at Mangaluru port till further orders. The Shipping Corporation is paying `7 lakh per day as anchorage fee.
Of the seven missing fishermen are Rajesh and Jinesh, brothers of Yesupalan, the captain of the fishing boat. Yesupalan’s body was recovered on August 13.
The Navy had deployed INS Sutlej, a survey ship and search and rescue ship INS Nireekshak which located the wreckage of a boat near the collision