KOCHI: The Mercantile Marine Department (MMD) on Monday began investigating the navigation records and other details of bulk carrier Amber L to ascertain whether the cargo ship had collided with a fishing boat off Kochi coast on Sunday.
As many as 12 personnel from MMD, Coast Guard, Immigration, Customs and Coastal Police boarded the Panama-flagged ship on Monday for gathering evidence.The Cochin Port Trust took the inquiry team to the ship, currently anchored around seven nautical miles off Kochi coast in the morning. The interrogation of the ship captain and crew members is under way, said an officer.
Capt Shagi Abraham; Capt Suresh Nair, surveyor, MMD; Capt C K Kiran, engine and shipping surveyor, MMD; Dinik C K, immigration officer; and Jobin, deputy commandant, Coast Guard, inspected the ship along with Coastal Police personnel.
The investigation by MMD and the Coastal Police is on. They are yet to make a decision on the arrest and further proceedings. “Before an action is initiated, there should be clarity on whether Amber L had caused the accident. The tracking equipment in the ship have to be seized for the same. A decision will be taken only after finding specific evidence,” said an officer.
Of the 12 personnel, the Customs and Immigration Depatment officers have returned to the Kochi Port, while the other 10 officers are still on the ship. Amber L had allegedly rammed fishing boat ‘Carmel Matha’ off Puthuvype early on Sunday morning, claiming the lives of two fishermen. One fisherman is reportedly missing. Antony John, 55, alias Thambidurai, from Colachel, Kanyakumari, in Tamil Nadu; and Rahul Das, 27, from Assam, are the deceased. Moti Chaudhary, 26, from Assam, is missing.
While the Navy had launched an Advanced Light Helicopter from the Naval Air Station, INS Garuda, for searching the missing fisherman, the Coast Guard District Headquarters, Kochi, deployed a Dornier aircraft for the purpose. INS Kalpeni and a Coast Guard ship are also engaged in the mission.
Divers of Indian Navy will also join the search operation, which will continue on Tuesday morning, an officer said.The body of Antony John was handed over to his relatives after autopsy. The body of Rahul Das will be sent to Assam from Nedumbassery airport on Tuesday morning.
