Mangaluru boy wins bronze medal at Karnataka State Mini Olympics 2020
Bengaluru: Karnataka Olympic Association and Department of Youth Empowerment and Sports organised Karnataka State Mini Olympics-2020 at Basavanagudi Swimming Pool on 4th & 5th of February 2020 wherein several swimmers from Dakshina Kannada District
Shrishan Bangera of Mangaluru who is being trained at Jai Hind Swimming Club Mangaluru won Bronze Medal in 50 m Butterfly and from Dakshina Kannada District to bag a medal in the event.
Shrishan Bangera is being trained under the V Ramakrishna Rao, Head Coach of the club, Rajesh Antony Bengre, Senior Coach, and Assistant Coaches K Nagaraj and Sanketh Bengre.
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Somali woman dies at sea in tragic smuggling journey to Mayotte
Mogadishu: The family of beauty salon owner Fathi Hussein is mourning her tragic death after a failed attempt to reach the French island of Mayotte. The perilous journey ended in disaster when smugglers abandoned the migrants, leaving them adrift in the Indian Ocean for nearly two weeks.
“We were told by survivors that she died from hunger,” Fathi's stepsister, Samira, revealed in a phone interview. Fathi was among more than 70 passengers who set out on two small boats but were left stranded. Survivors recounted that while others consumed raw fish and seawater, Fathi refused. "They said she started hallucinating before she died, and her body was then thrown into the ocean," Samira explained.
The family learned of her death when fellow Somali survivors were rescued by fishermen off the coast of Madagascar. According to the International Organization for Migration (IOM), 24 people died, while 48 survived the ordeal.
Fathi's decision to undertake the dangerous voyage puzzled her family, as she had a thriving beauty salon in Mogadishu’s middle-class Yaqshid neighborhood. She confided only in her younger sister, explaining that she used her earnings to pay the smugglers. “She used to hate the ocean. I don’t know why she made that choice. I wish I could hug her,” Samira lamented.
Fathi's journey began on November 1, when she flew to Mombasa, Kenya, before embarking on the treacherous 1,100 km boat trip. Survivors said the smugglers, claiming mechanical issues, transferred passengers to smaller boats, falsely assuring them they would reach Mayotte in three hours. Instead, they drifted for 14 days.
Some survivors believe the smugglers intentionally abandoned them after receiving payment. Frantz Celestin, a regional official with the IOM, described the growing risk migrants face attempting to reach Mayotte. "This year has been particularly deadly for migrants," he said, citing a recent tragedy where 25 others perished.
The journey to Mayotte, often seen as a gateway to Europe, has become increasingly common. Routes vary, with some migrants traveling via the Comoros Islands, while others fly to Madagascar before attempting the final sea leg. One survivor, Khadar Mohamed, recalled his own harrowing experience, escaping Somalia due to threats from the militant group al-Shabab.
Families of the victims report paying smugglers around $6,000 for the journey, half of it upfront. Despite promises of safer, larger boats, many migrants end up on small fishing vessels known as "kwassa."
Somalia’s Foreign Minister, Ahmed Moalim Fiqi, stated efforts are underway to contact survivors and bring them home. Meanwhile, Fathi’s family reported a suspected smuggler in Mogadishu, who was arrested but later released on bail.“I wish she could have said goodbye,” Samira said, her voice heavy with grief. “I’ll never know what she felt in those final moments, and that pain will stay with me forever.”
