NE NEWS SERVICE
GANDHINAGAR, DEC 12
The Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre (MRCC) of Indian Navy and Indian Coast Guard (ICG) jointly rescued 264 fishermen stranded in midsea off Lakshadweep during the first week of December, said a defence communiqué here on Wednesday.
The fishermen who had ventured into sea in 22 boats on November 19 were caught in cyclone formed due to low pressure from the morning of December 2. As soon as the information reached, the MRCC took quick action by alerting all the merchant ship passing through the area and the ICG ships were diverted for rescue operation.
Merchant ships had rescued 250 fishermen and transferred them to ICG ship in mid-sea and later they were taken to Goa port and handed over to the fisheries department for their onward journey to their native places in South India.
Another batch of 14 fishermen rescued by MV Miura, were handed over to ICGS C-403 at mid-sea and they were taken to Mundra in Gulf of Kutch. After the routine procedure, the fishermen were handed over to the officials of the fisheries department after a medical screening on December 7.
All the fishermen hailing from South India were handed over to the respective officials for safe transportation to their native places, the communiqué from the defence PRO said.
