HC orders seizure of records of ship involved in fatal mishap
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Kochi: The High Court Monday ordered seizure of all records, including digital data, of a foreign cargo ship that hit an Indian fishing boat off the city coast, killing two fishermen.
Justice P B Suresh Kumar passed the order on a petition by a co-owner of the boat who apprehended that digital records of the ship, involved in the incident yesterday, could be destroyed if they were not impounded.
The judge ordered the Director General of Shipping and Mercantile Marine Department to seize all materials, including GPS log book, bell book and voyage data recorder of the ship.
Two fishermen were killed and 11 injured when the Panama-registered cargo ship allegedly hit their fishing boat around 2 AM yesterday off the Kochi coast.
One fisherman is missing after the collision.
Coastal police authorities said a coordinated search and rescue operation by the Navy and the Coast Guard was on to locate the missing fisherman.
The ship along with its crew has been detained soon after the incident.
