Fisherman killed, father and son missing after boat capsizes off Kollam coast

Kollam: A fisherman was killed and a man and his son went missing after a fishing boat carrying 14 people capsized off the Neendakara coast in Kerala's Kollam district on Friday, officials said.

The deceased has been identified as Rajeevan. Although he was rescued from the sea and brought ashore, he could not be revived, officials said.

The two missing persons have been identified as Radhakrishnan and his son Gautam. Search operations are currently underway to trace them.

According to officials, the fishing boat, Sreekrishna, overturned near the Neendakara breakwater while heading out to sea amid rough weather and high waves.

The remaining 11 people on board were rescued, with some of them managing to swim to safety.

Rescue efforts have been affected by rough sea conditions and strong waves, officials said.

Police have registered a case of unnatural death and launched an investigation into the incident.

The incident comes as Kerala's 52-day annual monsoon trawling ban is set to end on Friday night, with hundreds of fishing boats preparing to return to sea. Meanwhile, concerns are looming over sandbars in the Ashtamudi Lake, which fishermen fear could pose a safety risk as boats head back to the sea.

(With PTI inputs)