Malappuram: Two people died in a fishing boat accident off the coast of Ponnani, Malappuram. The bodies of Azhikkal natives Abdul Salam (43) and Gafoor (45) were found after search operations. They had gone missing when the fishing boat capsized after it collided with the ship 'Sagar Yuvaraj'. Four other people have been rescued.

The incident occurred on Monday, around 1 am, about 16 nautical miles from Chettuva. Eyewitnesses recount that the boat immediately split into two after the collision. Those on board the ship were the first to undertake rescue operations. The other four rescued were taken to Munakkadavu Harbour and were shifted to hospital from there.

The fishing boat named ‘Islahi’ belonged to Nainar, a native of Azhikkal. The group left for fishing on Friday.