A ship rammed into an anchored fishing boat around 2 pm on Saturday, causing 11 fishermen on board to fall into the sea near Colachel in Kanyakumari. The crew of the ship MS Solis immediately rescued nine fishermen from the trawler 'St Joseph', owned by Rajesh Mathew of Shakthikulangara in Kollam, while two remain missing. A search operation is underway, Harbour councillor Afsa said.

Four of the fishermen on board are from Tamil Nadu and six from West Bengal. No Malayalis were among them, the councillor said. Indian Coast Guard vessel 'Anagh' carried the rescued fishermen to the Vizhinjam shore.

Two of the rescued fishermen sustained serious injuries, while the others suffered minor injuries. The ship had doctors on board, who administered first aid to the fishermen immediately after the rescue, the councillor added. All of them were conscious and able to provide details about the incident. They were later taken to the Medical College Hospital for treatment, she said.

The trawler had set out from Kollam on Friday afternoon. "After lunch on Saturday, the crew members were resting inside the boat after anchoring it along the shipping route. It was the crew members from the ship who dived into the sea and rescued nine fishermen, but they could not find the other two," she said.

The fishermen, who had planned a 15-day trawling trip, lost their equipment, identity cards and clothes in the incident. The trawler also sustained significant damage.