Kerala: Boat with 16 fishermen capsizes in Thiruvananthapuram, six injured

A fishing boat carrying sixteen fishermen capsized near Muthalapozhi harbour in Thiruvananthapuram district on August 3 morning, the police said. All the 16 fishermen on board were rescued.

The accident happened at 6 AM on August 3. Boat named ‘Buraq’ belonging to a Varkala native capsized. Injured fishermen Kahar and Rubin were shifted to taluk hospital Chirainkeezhu.

Marine Enforcement boats were deployed in the area following the ministerial meeting to discuss the issues in Muthalapozhi. They led the operations, which helped in the rescue of all 16 onboard.

Meanwhile, the work to remove sand and stone from the breakwater has begun at Muthalapozhi. The work is undertaken to reduce accidents in the area which are caused by huge waves due to the presence of accumulated sand and rocks near the breakwater.

Two fishermen managed to swim to shore, while the others were rescued by marine enforcement, coastal police, and fishermen engaged in rescue operations, they said. Officials said that six of the fishermen were injured and were taken to the hospital for treatment. The incident occurred around 6 am on August 3.

In the wake of this accident, fishermen from Muthalapozhi staged a protest, demanding that the unscientific construction of the harbour be rectified. This comes after a series of boat accidents in Muthalapozhi, including one last month where four fishermen lost their lives after their boat capsized, they said.
In response to the protest, the government called a meeting with various organizations and agreed to address the demands of the fishermen, they added.

In July, a central team led by Minister of State for External Affairs V Muraleedharan visited Muthalapozhi after repeated cases of boat accidents near the harbour.

The coastal community had repeatedly warned about the unscientific construction of the harbour as the primary reason for the accidents. Further, the State Government, with the permission of Adani Group, decided to dredge the area to clear the sand and stone accumulation near the harbor mouth.