Three fishermen killed, 9 missing as boat collides with foreign vessel

Mangaluru: Around three fishermen are feared dead and nine others went missing after their fishing boat collided with a foreign vessel off the coast of Mangaluru early on Tuesday morning.

According to the reports, the boat, IFB Rabah, with 14 fishermen on board, had set off from Beypore in Kozhikode district of Kerala Sunday evening. The boat owner Jaffer said in Kozhikode that he had received information that three of them died in the mishap. Seven of the fishermen are from Tamil Nadu and the remaining from West Bengal and Odisha. Two fishermen have been saved from the sea.

Earlier on Tuesday, the Indian Coast Guard (ICG) released a statement confirming that a search and rescue operation was underway after a sea accident was reported near New Mangalore Port in Karnataka. As many as 14 fishermen were missing as per reports.

"Three ICG ships and aircraft have been deployed for the operation. The search for the fishermen of IFB Rabah approximately 43 nautical miles off west New Mangalore is on. Two crew members have been found, search for another crew is in progress," officials said.

It is learnt that a ship from Singapore, MV APL Le Havre, had collided with the boat. The Coast Guard said three of its vessels and choppers were continuing the search for the missing fishermen.