Mercator dredger stranded near Suratkal beach

Mangaluru: More than a month after Tridevi Prem, a dredger owned by Mumbai-based Mercator Ltd sank at New Mangalore Port, another dredger belonging to the same company got stranded in the sand near Surathkal beach.

Fifteen crew members of the dredger Bhagavati Prem have been rescued and NMPT deployed tugs to pull the dredger near the seashore near Hosabettu, Suratkal on Monday evening after it started to drift.

NMPT Chairman A V Ramana said that the port had issued several notices to Mercator, asking them to remove the dredgers from port limits. The NMPT is executing a standard operating procedure to prevent mishaps of sinking and possible environmental hazard, he added.