Tuesday, November 17, 2009

300 Catholic fish workers feared missing

In the ghastly impact of Cyclone Phyan, which crossed the Arabian Sea triggering ferocious waves and strong water currents, an estimated 300 fish workers of Kanyakumari district in Trivandrum Diocese are feared missing and 27 fishing vessels have reportedly lost in the cyclonic ferocity, November 13.

The fish workers belonging to the coastal parishes of Erayunamthurai, Poothurai, Thoothoor, Chinnathurai, Vallavillai and Marthandamthurai ventured into the Arabian Sea from different fishing harbours in Kerala, Karnataka, Goa, Gujarat and Maharastra.

Usually they stay 30-40 days in the sea for fishing operations. According to the fishing village sources, they set out to sea during the last week of October and were due for return by December first week. What has irked the fisher community is that the media report that many workers are missing and a host of vessels are caught in the cyclonic waves in the Arabian Sea, and that their whereabouts are unknown.

According to the parish sources, 11 vessels have been smashed and no information is available on the workers in the vessels. The fate of 28 vessels is not known — 10 from Chinnathurai parish, eight from Thoothoor, five from Poothurai, three from Vallavillai and two from Marthandamthurai.

Jose, who was caught in the jaws of death in the cyclone and had a narrow escape, said that he was fishing with 10 others at 75 nautical miles from the seashore in Karnataka state.

Suddenly, his vessel turned topsy-turvy in the strong winds and all the occupants of the vessel clung to some broken parts of the damaged craft for survival.

He said his team was saved by another vessel and they landed at Karwar in Karnataka.

The parish priests of the fishing villages have urged the district administration and fisheries department to launch search operations on war footing to trace the missing persons and vessels.

Some of the vessels had capsized in mid-sea and fish workers in other vessels had saved them, in Goa, Karwar in Karnataka and Ratnagiri in Maharashtra state. The district administration of Kanyakumari has set up a control room at the collectorate with a toll-free number. District collector Rajendra Ratnoo said the Indian Coast Guard and the Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre have launched search operations with speed boats and helicopters.

The district collector of Kanyakumari, superintendent of police, officials of the fisheries department and revenue officials are camping in the coastal villages.

Families of the missing workers are offering prayers for the safe return of the missing persons.

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