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In a hit-and run incident on high seas, two fishermen were killed and three others reported missing after an unidentified ship collided with their boat, off Kerala coast during early hours on Thursday.
Two men were rescued by another boat. The incident comes close on the heels of the killing of two fishermen by naval guards from an Italian ship, mistaking them for pirates, off the Kerala coast earlier this month.
hit and run
In a statement, the Directorate General of Shipping said an unidentified ship is reported to have hit the fishing boat Don-I with seven men on board at around 0.55 a.m. on Thursday.
According to Coast Guard officials, a search is on to identify the ship.
The accident took place 15 nautical miles off the Alappuzha coast.
The fishing boat had left from the Neendakara Fishing Harbour on Sunday with seven fishermen on board for deep-sea fishing.
case registered
Senior police officials said a case has been registered under Section 304 (a) IPC for causing death due to negligence at the Ambalappuzha Police Station.
According to the statement given by the survivors, all lights on the boat were on, as they were retrieving the nets at the time of the accident.
The DG Shipping has directed the Mercantile Marine Department, Kochi to investigate the incident.
It is believed that the accident was reported late, only after the rescued fishermen reached ashore.
And the boat, which was capsized after the collision, would not have been fitted with automatic communication equipment, an official said.
A senior MMD official told Business Line that after the Mumbai terror attack, the Government had issued rules and regulations for fishing boats venturing into high seas.
According to the rules, all fishing boats should install automatic identification system (AIS) so that the Coast Guard and DG Shipping can monitor the boat and its position when an accident occurs.
Apart from this, the boats should have life saving equipments as well as all means of communication and signalling.
However, majority of the boats venturing into the seas did not comply with these requirements.
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