Taiwanese fishing vessel runs aground: all crew rescued

Kochi, July 16 (UNI) All the 33 crew on board the Taiwanese fishing vessel which ran aground a reef near the Suhaili Island of Lakshadweep in the early hours today were rescued by the Coast Guard and will be brought to Kavaratti, officials said.

Lakshadweep Administration officials and the Port Officer at Kavratti told UNI that all the 33 crew members were rescued and would be brought to Kavaratti.

They had earlier said that 32 of the crewmen had safely reached Suhaili Island, some 36 nautical miles south of Kavratti, while one went missing. The missing person was later rescued by a Coast Guard helicopter which had launched a surveillance operation, they added.

A Coast Guard Dornier and a helicopter had launched surveillance operations and a ship of the Lakshadweep Administration had left Kavratti to bring the Taiwanese crewmen to Kavratti.

The fishing vessel, Isabella III, is reported to have illegally entered Indian waters while heading for Malaysia from Oman. It ran aground the reef near Suhaili Island at about 0200 hrs. today.

''The vessel is tilted at nearly 45 degrees. The crew members left the ship and are presently on Suhaili, which is an uninhaibited island. They will be brought to Kavratti for questioning,'' Kavratti Port Officer Hamsa said.

Eventhough there were no rains in the area today, the sea was turbulent because of the monsoon season, he said.

UNI ARC VV PA RN1915