Thiruvananthapuram: Seven fishermen from Kanyakumari still remain untracked, two months after a ship smashed their fishing boat near Munambam, Ernakulam.
The ship wrecked the boat named 'Oceana' 44 km off Munambam in the wee hours of August 7. Two fishing workers were injured. Five bodies of fishermen were recovered, four of them Tamil Nadu natives. Of the 14 on board, seven are still missing.
A search was carried out for several days to locate the seven, but to no avail.
Their families based at Ramanthurai and Mulloorthurai in Kanyakumari district haven't lost hope for the return of the men. Villagers complain that the government did not pay much attention to the search operations as the state was hit by floods. The Tamil Nadu government offered Rs 1 lakh each for the families of the dead.
Yesupalan, one of the five dead, had taken a loan and invested for purchase of the boat. Moneylenders are chasing his family now. Chandraraj of Mulloorthurai said Yesupalan's family doesn't have the means to repay the loan.
The family of Sahayaraj of Mulloorthurai had to leave their rented house after failing to pay the rent and is now living in a hut.
Ramanthurai saw huge protests against the government's delay in finding the missing persons. The protest was staged in a special pandal near the St Barbara church. Local legislator Rajesh Kumar and Kanyakumari district collector Prashant M Vatnare intervened to calm the protests. However, villagers complain that the authorities' assurances were not kept.
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