Two more boat accidents in Muthalapozhi area of Kerala in last 2 days; 4 fishermen injured

Barely two weeks after a central team of experts visited Muthalapozhi here following frequent boat accidents in the area, two separate such incidents resulting in injuries to four fishermen were reported in the last couple of days. While the latest accident was reported on Monday when two fishermen got injured while navigating the area — where the sea meets a river and a lake — in their vessel, a similar incident occurred two days ago in the same area, police said.

In the earlier incident also two fishermen were injured, police said.

All four fishermen are fine now, they added.

The central team of experts led by Minister of State for External Affairs V Muraleedharan had visited the area on July 17 following a boat accident on July 10 which claimed four lives.

While the central team visited the area, a ministerial-level meeting was held on the same day in the state Secretariat here by Kerala Ministers Saji Cherian, G R Anil, V Sivankutty and Antony Raju on the same issue.

The coastal community has been contending for some time that the area is dangerous for their vessels.

The state government, after its ministerial-level meeting, had announced various steps for preventing boat accidents in the area and also on taking care of the families of the four deceased fishermen.

Prior to the central team’s visit and the ministerial-level meeting, a political row had erupted in the state over the boat accident at Muthalapozhi that claimed four lives, with the ruling CPI(M) and the opposition Congress accusing each other of trying to create tension in the coastal area.

According to Father Eugene Pereira, the Vicar General of the Latin Archdiocese, the accident which claimed the lives of four fishermen was the 10th such incident in the area this year alone.