Mangaluru, Feb 8: MS Nautica,' the fifth cruise vessel of the current season called on New Mangalore Port here.

Carrying 550 passengers and 400 crew members, the 180.5 m vessel has 30,277 gross tonnage and has a draft of 6 m, said a release from New Mangalore Port Authority (NMPA) on Wednesday.

The vessel came from Muscat to India en route to Male (Maldives) and called on Mumbai and Mormugao ports earlier.

Offering a traditional welcome, NMPA arranged their medical screening, immigration and customs counters, 15 coaches of buses, including two shuttle buses for tourists visiting local markets around Mangaluru, taxis, and tourist vans.

The cruise passengers also availed benefits of meditation centre set up the by the AYUSH department inside the cruise lounge. Clothes and handicraft outlets were also kept open for them.

The tourists later visited places of tourist interest in and around Mangaluru while NMPA presented them souvenirs when they embarked the vessel that sailed out of NMP towards Kochi in the evening, the release said.

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Sindhanur: A 12-year-old boy was killed and his mother seriously injured after a man allegedly attacked his elder brother’s family with a knife over a property dispute in Alabanur village of Sindhanur taluk on Wednesday morning.

The deceased has been identified as Nagaraj Siddappa Alvi (12). Amrutha Siddappa (42) sustained serious injuries in the attack. Police said the accused is Basavaraj Rudrappa Alvi, the younger brother of the victim boy’s father.

According to preliminary information, Basavaraj had arrived in Alabanur village on Tuesday and was staying at his mother’s house.

On Wednesday morning, he allegedly went to the house of his brother Siddappa carrying a knife. At the time, Siddappa’s wife Amrutha and children Nagaraj and Dhanush were present in the house.

Police said the accused allegedly attacked them with the knife. Nagaraj died in the incident, while Amrutha and Dhanush suffered serious injuries.

The injured were shifted to the government hospital in the city for treatment.

Deputy Superintendent of Police G. Chandrashekhar visited the spot and gathered information.

Sources said Chinnamma Rudrappa of Alabanur village has two sons Siddappa, who lives in Alabanur, and Basavaraj, who resides in Alliganur village of Siruguppa taluk.

Police suspect the long-standing property dispute between the two brothers led to the fatal attack.