Three fishermen were killed and nine others are missing after their mechanised fishing boat capsized when it was hit by a container vessel early on April 13 off Mangaluru.
Two crew members of the fishing vessel were rescued by the Indian Coast Guard (ICG).
The search for the missing men continued till late on April 13. Three ICG ships and aircraft have been deployed for the operation. The services of the Navy would be sought if required, Kozhikode Collector Seeram Sambasiva Rao said.
Mr. Rao said he was monitoring the rescue operations along with Deputy Commissioner K.V. Rajendra of Dakshina Kannada.
There were 14 fishermen — seven each from West Bengal and Tamil Nadu — in the mechanised boat, IFB Rabah, owned by Mamentakathu Jaffar of Beypore in Kozhikode. According to sources, the fishin g vesselwas hit by a Singapore-registered container ship, APL LE HAVRE at around 2 a.m.
Fishermen in three other boats that were fishing along with the Rabah have also been contacted to get in touch with the rescue team, Mr. Rao said.
Bodies of three men were recovered and shifted to a Mangaluru hospital. Two of the dead have been identified as Alexander Syrang and Manik Das, from West Bengal.
The two rescued crew members have been identified as Sunil Das, 34, of West Bengal and Velmurukan, 37, of Kalirajapuram, Rameswaram, Tamil Nadu.
A statement from the ICG said: “Two crew members found and reported safe. The coast guard ship recovered three bodies. Search operation for other crew members in progress.”
Chethan R, Superintendent of Police, Karnataka Coastal Security Police, Udupi said the three bodies and the rescued crew members are being brought to Mangaluru-Udupi.
