A cargo vessel laden with construction materials that left from Mangaluru Old Port to Lakshadweep capsized en route to Agatti Island from Andrott Island. According to sources, the vessel left Old Mangaluru Port on March 12 with construction and food materials, and eight crew members.
The crew members on board were Captain Bhaskaran, Nagalingam, Nallamuthu Gopal, Manidevan Velu, Vignesh, Ajith Kumar S, Kuppuraman, and M Murugan from Tamil Nadu. They unloaded a portion of the cargo at Androth Island, and on March 13 were moving towards Agatti Island. The next morning, they experienced an issue with the engine. Though the captain and the crew members tried to repair the engine, nothing could be done, and because of the wind, the vessel started sinking.
All eight crew members saved themselves by jumping into a ‘paathi’ (a small boat that follows the main vessel) using their life jackets. The Indian Coast Guard in Mangaluru and Lakshadweep were informed, and though a search was launched, they were not found between March 15 to 17. Fishermen from Kalpeni, noticing the small boat with crew seeking help by waving their hands, rushed to their aid, and rescued them on March 18, said Abdul Lathif, secretary, Old Port Users Association. The fishermen who rescued them informed the Coast Guard, who in turn took all the crew members to Kochi in their speedboat, where the owner of the vessel too reached to take them to their hometown, he said.