Daijiworld Media Network – Mangalore (SP)

Mangalore, Aug 18: Fishing activity continued to be suspended in Karnataka coast on Tuesday August 18. All the districts located on the coastline experienced continuous drizzle with heavy rains in between, and the disturbances at sea continued. As such, none of the fishing boats took to sea on Tuesday.

Out of the three fishermen who went missing, after their boat capsized on Sunday night at Kotepura estuary, the body of Jesu Kumar was found on Tuesday at the seashore at Kotepura. The whereabouts of Kalanchiayan (35), the other fisherman in the boat, are not known, and search parties failed to make any headway. It is estimated that about 100 boats that had ventured into the deep for fishing, are yet to return to their bases because of bad weather. They have been asked over the wireless to return only after the sea becomes stable. About 3,000 boats have anchored in Malpe, while about 800 boats are stranded in the local port.

The meteorological department has warned that during the next two days, Karnataka coast might receive over 75 mm of rain. There have been reports of collapse of houses in Moodbidri, Udupi, Kundapur and Karkala taluks. In an incident that occurred in Karkala taluk, a cow and its calf died after the cattle shed owned by Nallur Sadanand Devadiga crashed. Movement on the roads were hit in a few places after trees fell across them.

The Coast Guard personnel rescued seven fishermen and their boat, after getting information that they faced danger due to mechanical failure off Tannirbavi here. The boat, ‘Diamond’ from Ernakulam, which sailed off on August 2, faced engine failure, and the efforts of its occupants to anchor the boat failed because of the choppy sea. The assistant director of fisheries based in Kochi contacted the Coast Guard here. Personnel deputed by it rescued the boat and the seven fishermen on Tuesday.