Report and Pics by Hemanath Padubidri
Daijiworld Media Network – Udupi (RD/SP)
 
Udupi, Feb 27: An inter-state fishing boat was partially gutted in the fire that started when the boat was anchored near the shores of an island near here on Wednesday February 25 night. 
 
A Tamil Nadu (TN) registered fisheries boat with nine fishermen from Kerala on board, was anchored near the shores of St Mary’s Island here on Wednesday night, while returning from fishing sojourn to Konkan coast in Ratnagiri, Maharastra.  Some of the fishermen of this ill-fated boat left to get ice, since their stock of ice had been exhausted and they badly needed it to keep the highly perishable fish catch afresh in thermo cool boxes on board the fisheries boat.  The rest of the fishermen were sleeping in the deck of their boat, when the lone fisherman slept on the passage-way of the engine room. 
 

The fishermen sleeping on the deck were jolted out of their sleep by the flames engulfing the boat from the bow portion of their fisheries boat on Wednesday midnight.  All the eight fishermen jumped into the Arabian Sea and managed to reach the shore while lone fisherman named Anthony lost his life in the boat.
 
The district fire brigade personnel arrived on the spot and managed to control the fire.  The loss to the hull and bow was estimated to be around Rs 10 lac.  The partially gutted boat was towed to Malpe port for repairs.  Malpe police have registered a case in this regard.