Team Mangalorean - City Beat

Mangalore: Close on the heels of an earlier case of a boat hitting a sand dune at the bottom of the estuary here, another two boats met the same fate on Monday, Aug 6.

The boats 'Sania Manjushri' belonging to Abbas of Bengre and 'Syed Madani' to Abdul Basheer of Ullal sank after going aground in the middle of the estuary, while also being rocked by rough waves.

Trawler boat Sania Manjushri had sailed off on Aug 3 and was to return on Aug 10. Because of the rough sea conditions, its crew cut the trip short and cruised back towards the port. Its value is said to be Rs 16 lakh.

Since the boats are not allowed to access the shore through the New Mangalore port, they decided to return through the estuary, although being aware of the hazards. Four fishermen, Santosh, Sanjeeva, Suresh and Umesh, hailing from Kundapur, were saved by another fishing boat named 'Al Noor' owned by Bi Fatima.

The second one, 'Syed Madani' had sailed off on Sunday and was on its way back around Monday noon. It too hit a sand dune and capsized. Its crew - comprising driver Manohar, Johnson, Jaanam and Saravanan, all hailing from Tamil Nadu - were rescued and brought to safety by the crew of 'Queen Mary' boat. The total loss in this case is said to be Rs 6 lakh, including two engines and a big catch of fish.

All the eight fishermen were taken to the NMPT hospital and administered first aid.

Mangalore: Fishing Boat Capsizes - Crew Rescued, Catch and Nets Lost