NIO-Vizag scientists boat waylaid in west coast, equipment robbed

Panaji, Oct 10 (UNI) Miscreants waylaid the boat in which seven scientists attached with the Visakhapatnam Regional Centre of the National institute of Oceanography (NIO) were undertaking a survey in the west coast and decamped with valuable instruments.

The incident, which occurred off Yermal coast in Udupi district of Karnataka two days ago, came to light today.

The NIO headquarters here in Goa, though confirmed the incident today but failed to give full details.

The senior scientist of the Vizag centre Dr K S R Murthy, whose colleagues were on the mission, was tight-lipped. He expressed his inability to give full information about the incident.

The scientists, who went back to Vizag had filed a criminal complaint against the miscreants with the police in Mangalore/Udupi.

The scientists hired the boat for undertaking a sponsored survey off the west coast for sea variations and tsunami alerts, sources said.

The assailants, suspectedly locals, ferried their way on canoes to the boat and made good their escape with the instruments after overpowering the scientists on the sea.

The cost of the instruments and data lost, if any, besides other details as to the identity of the robbers were yet to be known.

UNI