Vizhinjam fishing boat collision: Captain of Panama ship told not to leave India without permission

Vizhinjam (Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala): Authorities have completed inspections of the Panama-flagged vessel MV Solis, which was taken into custody after it rammed a trawler anchored in deep sea for fishing. Officials of the Director General of Shipping (DG Shipping) examined the ship after it was brought to waters off Vizhinjam and directed the captain not to leave the country without permission.

The foreign vessel was escorted from the accident site to Vizhinjam by the Coast Guard ship Anagh. The inspection was carried out by Chief Surveyor Captain Shenoy of the Mercantile Marine Department along with other officials.

The team boarded the ship and conducted a detailed inspection, examining both the bow (front section) and stern (rear section) of the vessel.

Officials found that the paint on the bow of the ship had peeled off completely, indicating the impact area.

Deep-sea collision splits fishing boat

The ship had rammed the trawling boat St Joseph, which had set out from Neendakara in Kollam district to fish in deep waters off Kanyakumari.

The accident occurred on March 7 in deep sea, around 57 nautical miles from Muttom harbour in Tamil Nadu.

The impact split the fishing boat into two. All 11 workers on board were thrown into the sea following the collision.

Crew members of the ship involved in the accident rescued nine of the workers, while two others — a father and son — remain missing.

CCTV footage examined; crew questioned

Investigators have also examined the CCTV cameras installed on the ship as part of the probe.

Representatives of the vessel and insurance officials who arrived earlier visited the ship. The representative later handed over the confidential code of the Voyage Data Recorder (VDR) to the Chief Surveyor.

Chief Surveyor Captain Shenoy also sought detailed information about the circumstances of the accident from 20 crew members, including the captain of MV Solis.