Hit-and-run in sea: Navy, Coast Guard zeroed in on 8 ships
Navy and Coast Guard, investigating the accident leading to the death of two fishermen and three still missing off Arthunkal in Alappuzha, zeroed in on eight ships in the last 24 hours.
A source here in the Navy said its men boarded and inspected the eight ships. “These ships denied any knowledge of such an accident. Our ships also inspected the outer sides of the ships for any mark left by the accident. We could not detain them as there was no proof.”
The eight ships from the hundreds passing through the Indian waters were picked on the basis of the inputs given by Automatic Vessel Identification System (AIS) installed in all Navy and Coast Guard ships patrolling the Indian waters.
The normal practice is that the Coast Guard monitors Indian territorial waters and the Navy, the outer sea.
The eight ships were picked from a circular area in the sea, drawn on the basis of the maximum limit the merchant ships can travel from the accident point. Under the maritime regulations, all ships passing through Indian waters are also obliged to give their noon positions to Indian authorities under the Indian Ship Position and Information System (Inspires).
The system mandates that each ship gives its position at noon and also the location from where it is coming, to which port it is heading and the cargo it is carrying. All these data were used to zero in on the ships.
The Navy source added that the two hours delay in getting the info of the accident hampered its efforts to track the vessel.
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