CHENNAI: A fisherman from Rameswaram was killed after the mechanised boat he was on collided with a Sri Lankan Navy patrol ship at mid-sea. The incident, which occurred close to the International Maritime Boundary Line (IMBL) on Wednesday night, left two fishermen injured while another is missing.
VP Sesuraja, president, Traditional Indian Fishermen Welfare Association, said that the body of the deceased, identified as Malaisamy, has been recovered while a search is on to trace the missing fisherman, Ramachandran.
The two others, Muthu Muniyandi and Mookaiya, the sailor of the boat, survived the collision and have been rescued, he added.
Ramanathapuram Collector Simranjeet Singh Kahlon said that the four fishermen had ventured into the sea in a mechanised boat on Wednesday.
After getting permit tokens, they set out at noon on a mechanised boat bearing the registration number 'IND-MAP-73', N. Devadoss, president, Rameswaram fishermen's cooperative society, said.
The Indian Coast Guard and the Indian Navy have launched a search and rescue operation to find the missing fisherman.
Meanwhile, angered by the incident and Malaisamy's death, the fisherfolk community in Rameshwaram took to the road and demanded action against the Sri Lankan Navy.