Two people from Kerala are missing after boat capsizes off Mozambique coast

Thiruvananthapuram, October 18 (IANS). Two people from Kerala are among those missing after a boat carrying crew capsized off the coast of Mozambique. Search operations have been intensified to trace five Indian nationals, including two from Kerala. The missing youths have been identified as Indrajith (22), resident of Piravom, Ernakulam, and Srirag (36), resident of Chavara, Kollam. Both were employees of Scorpio Marine. The company and the Indian embassy informed Srirag’s family members this morning that he had died in the accident. Indrajeet, whose father Santosh also works on the same ship, is still missing. Lok Sabha member Francis George told the media that the company was keeping Indrajit’s family members informed about the progress being made at the accident site. The accident occurred near the Bera port on Thursday when a launch boat was transporting Indian crew members to the MT Sea Quest ship for maintenance work. The boat capsized in the middle of the sea, trapping 21 people. 14 people have been rescued, while three people have been confirmed dead so far. The rescue operation, which was launched shortly after the incident, had to be temporarily stopped yesterday due to bad weather. Rescue operations resumed early this morning with the support of local authorities and the Indian High Commissioner in Maputo. Indrajit only left home last Tuesday to start working on the ship. His family received the news of the accident late Friday evening. Srirag has worked with the company for many years. The Indian High Commissioner said he was working closely with the government of Mozambique to coordinate search and rescue operations. Helpline numbers have been issued for families seeking updates. The launch boat is said to have been en route to MT Sea Quest when it sank in rough water. Officials said efforts are being made to recover the bodies of the deceased and trace the remaining missing. –IANS KR/