Coast Guard rescues crew from dredger near Kollam port

KOLLAM: The Coast Guard rescued four crew members of the dredger Hancitha, which has been anchored near Kollam port for the two years, after sea water entered its hull. The crew members alleged that the ship was in a dilapidated condition and was about to sink.

Ajith Kumar Dubey (36), Nilesh Amit (26), Lalith Singh (21) and Ashok Kumar (21) were identified as being among the rescued.

The crew members noticed water entering the hull of the ship and informed the Coast Guard which rescued them.

The port conservator and marine engineer rushed to the ship to seal the leakage and pumped out water that had filled inside the hull. The crew was later taken to the Kollam port office.

The dredger owned by Megha Dredging company in Mumbai has been docked about five kilometres of the Kollam Port since March 2013 for maintenance works.

The ship upon failing to leave the port soon after the works were finished, piled up port fees to the tune of lakhs.

The port authorities later seized the ship demanding Rs 40 lakhs to release it. The ship owners later approached the Kerala High Court for the release of the ship.

The condition of the four crew members of the ship has been worsening ever since it was anchored at Kollam Port.

They are forced to survive nights at sea under the light of a single bulb inside the ship.  Once a week, the crew members visit land to collect food items and drinking water to survive.