Daijiworld Media Network - Udupi (SP)

Udupi, Feb 5: District in-charge minister, Jayamala, said that the government is determined to continue with the search operation for the missing fishing boat, 'Suvarna Tribhuja', till the operation reaches its logical end. "Navy has undertaken search by reaching to a depth of 35 meters but failed to find the boat or any clue about its mysterious disappearance. We are determined not to shelve the search. In the next phase, the search would be conducted by going to a depth of 60 meters," she announced.

Speaking to media persons here on Monday February 4, Jayamala said that there are doubts about the timing of the incident in which the bottom of a navy ship was damaged, time at which the boat lost its contact with the outside world etc. "During the search, the navy had found a 23-metre-long boat at the bottom of the sea. But as it is located too deep, they could not properly view it. It could not even be verified whether it is the remnants of a boat which had sunk in the past. As the missing boat was 24 meters long, the length factor does not match. A detailed search will provide answers to all these questions," she hoped.

The minister noted that some rumours about the missing boat that are making the rounds claim that the boat and its fishermen are safe somewhere. "Family members of the seven missing fishermen have been clinging on to the hope created by these rumours. We fondly wish that these rumours will come true," she stated.

The said boat had left Malpe port on its fishing sojourn at 11 pm on December 13. The fishermen were in touch with their family members till midnight on December 15 after which all contacts with them were lost. Two fishermen from Udupi district and five from Uttara Kannada district were in the boat.