Udupi (Karnataka), May 2: A fishing expedition turned into a harrowing ordeal as a vessel, setting sail from Malpe fishing port in Udupi, veered off course and became marooned on a beach 30 kilometres from its place of origin and a few nautical miles off the intended route.
The fishermen who were part of the rescue operation said, the incident unfolded when the vessel, manned by a crew of seven seasoned fishermen, embarked from Malpe port at the stroke of midnight on April 30. Tragically, the helmsman succumbed to exhaustion, inadvertently causing a critical navigational lapse that sent the boat adrift from its intended trajectory.
Initial reports indicated that fatigue gripped the entire crew shortly after their departure from Malpe. By the break of dawn on May 1, the vessel had unexpectedly run aground at Beejadi beach, approximately 30 kilometres north of its departure point, startling both locals and passersby.
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Subsequent analysis showed that the owner of the vessel was a resident of Kodibengre who had partnered with six or seven other people. There was conjecture that bad weather, marked by strong gusts, had something to do with the ship's veering off course.
Udupi fishermen’s association members who were a part of the rescue team told PTI that, luckily for the fishermen, the sea was calm, that the vessel did not veer away into deeper sea and the engine was in good condition.
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Panaji (PTI): As part of a crackdown against tourist establishments violating laws and safety norms in the aftermath of the Arpora fire tragedy, Goa authorities on Saturday sealed a renowned club at Vagator and revoked the fire department NOC of another club.
Cafe CO2 Goa, located on a cliff overlooking the Arabian Sea at Vagator beach in North Goa, was sealed. The move came two days after Goya Club, also in Vagator, was shut down for alleged violations of rules.
Elsewhere, campaigning for local body polls, AAP leader Arvind Kejriwal said the fire incident at Birch by Romeo Lane nightclub at Arpora, which claimed 25 lives on December 6, happened because the BJP government in the state was corrupt.
An inspection of Cafe CO2 Goa by a state government-appointed team revealed that the establishment, with a seating capacity of 250, did not possess a no-objection certificate (NOC) of the Fire and Emergency Services Department. The club, which sits atop Ozrant Cliff, also did not have structural stability, the team found.
The Fire and Emergency Services on Saturday also revoked the NOC issued to Diaz Pool Club and Bar at Anjuna as the fire extinguishers installed in the establishment were found to be inadequate, said divisional fire officer Shripad Gawas.
A notice was issued to Nitin Wadhwa, the partner of the club, he said in the order.
Campaigning at Chimbel village near Panaji in support of his party's Zilla Panchayat election candidate, Aam Aadmi Party leader Kejriwal said the nightclub fire at Arpora happened because of the "corruption of the Pramod Sawant-led state government."
"Why this fire incident happened? I read in the newspapers that the nightclub had no occupancy certificate, no building licence, no excise licence, no construction licence or trade licence. The entire club was illegal but still it was going on," he said.
"How could it go on? Couldn't Pramod Sawant or anyone else see it? I was told that hafta (bribe) was being paid," the former Delhi chief minister said.
A person can not work without bribing officials in the coastal state, Kejriwal said, alleging that officers, MLAs and even ministers are accepting bribes.
