ALAPPUZHA: Close on the heels of Italian ship Enrica Lexie killing two Indian fishermen, another unidentified merchant vessel slammed into a boat leaving two fishermen dead about 15 nautical miles off Alappuzha coast around 2 am on Thursday. Three fishermen are missing. Out of the seven fishermen who were in the boat, two were rescued by another fishing boat.The bodies of Justine, 42, ‘srank’ of Don 1, Kinattinkara House, Kovilthottam, Chavara, and Xavier, 45, Puthenthurayil House, Kureethura, Chavara, were brought to the Thottappilly fishing harbour.Joseph, 57, Dollin Mandiram, Kovilthottam and Michael, 55, Johnybhavanam, Mekkad, Chavara, were admitted to the Medical College Hospital, here. Cleetus, 30, Kallisseril Kovilthottam, Santhosh, 30, Pallithottam, Kollam, and Bernard alias Babychan, 40, Pallithottam, were missing.The Navy and Coast Guard mounted a search for the three and the elusive ship that sank the fishing boat. Justine and Santhosh are brothers-in-law while Bernard is Justine’s cousin. Michael, one of the two survivors, told Express: “The ship hit us around 2 am. A couple of us were sorting out the first catch. The others were spreading the net for the second catch. Suddenly, Justine shouted that a ship was bearing down on us at a great speed. Within seconds, the ship hit on the side of the broadside and the boat capsized.”Joseph, who was also rescued with Michael, added, “I came out from under the boat and latched on to the buoy of the fishing net and started shouting. It was after that the fishermen in the other boats rescued me.”Earnest, a fisherman aboard Thejus, the boat that rescued the two, said, “We saw a ship passing by us but it was quite dark and could not identify it. After the ship passed, the light of Don 1 disappeared. Immediately, we rushed to the spot and saw the capsized boat. Michael and Joseph were crying out aloud. We rescued them and were returning to the shore when we came across the body of Xavier.”The body of Justine was recovered later.
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