Mangalore: NMPT chairman P.Tamilvannan claimed in reply to complaints from leaders of fishing community on Monday that no boat in distress had called at the port on Sept.14(Wednesday last), before it capsized and broke, with 6 fishermen missing near Alive Bagilu. Three bodies had been recovered.

This statement contradicts what Vincent, that 7th fishermen who was a lone survivor in the tragedy at ‘Alive Bagilu’(estuary) that his fishing boat, ‘Ocean Fisheries-2’ had been turned away by NMPT authorities before it hit a sunken ship causing 6 inmates’ death, on Sept.14.
Speaking to the media on being told of the mass aversion shown to him by fishermen and their leaders for blocking boats at the new port even in distress due to bad weather, NMPT chief Tamilvannan informed that the charge mad3e against NMPT was far from what actually happened on that day (Sept.14).

Only on the previous day (Tuesday), two boats in distress had called at NMPT, and were anchored from outside so the Port authorities did not reject any plea of fishermen in the ‘Ocean Fisheries-2’ the next day, had they made it.

The coast guard, Fisheries and Port departments washed off their hands at the press meet, as no distress message had been received from the fishing vessel ‘O.F.-2’ .The survivor was telling lies to cover himself.

Going by the statement from Rajendra Singh Safal, Commandant of DK Coastal guards, NMPT chairman Tamilvannan said that the boat in distress stuck 30 nautical miles away from the Panambur Port. How can the boat be around the port, to seek anchor in distress then, he asked.

Several Port/Coast Guard/Police/Fisheries and other departments’ officials have on Monday formed a Port Security Committee to held meetings once in 3 months. Those in distress will be sheltered first, and then security clearance would be taken, it was agreed.