A deep-sea fishing vessel from Eraviputhenthurai in Tamil Nadu’s Kanyakumari district has been stranded near the India-Oman maritime border for more than ten days due to a technical malfunction. The vessel, Alankaramatha, with a 12-member crew, encountered the issue on September 15 when its engine failed. Efforts to restart the engine have been unsuccessful so far.
The Indian Coast Guard’s Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre in Mumbai has been actively assisting the stranded crew by delivering essential provisions through passing merchant ships. In a recent attempt, fuel was supplied to the vessel, but engineers were unable to restart the engine. “The fishing boat remains anchored, and the Indian Coast Guard is closely monitoring the situation,” said an official involved in the rescue operation.
The vessel, owned by R. Arulappan, set sail from Kochi on September 11. Arulappan, who is part of the crew, along with the others, had not been reachable until Thursday. It was on that day that the Coast Guard informed the families about the boat’s predicament near the Oman border.
According to Fr. Rajeesh Babu, parish priest of Eraviputhenthurai, the engine failure was reported on September 15. Despite multiple attempts, the crew has been unable to fix the problem. Fr. Babu added that while the Coast Guard is making efforts to repatriate the crew, the fishermen are hesitant to abandon the vessel, which is their primary means of livelihood. “We urge the government to assist in towing the vessel to the nearest shore so they can carry out necessary repairs,” he said.
The crew includes six members from Puducherry, two from West Bengal, three from Eraviputhenthurai, and one from the neighboring village of Poothurai in Kanyakumari district, according to P. Justin Antony, president of the International Fishermen Development Trust in Kanyakumari. Family members are growing increasingly concerned about the safety of the stranded fishermen.
Rescue operations are ongoing as authorities work to resolve the situation and bring the crew back to safety.
Source: Times of India
