Tanker collision sinks fishing trawler off Kerala, two fishermen missing

A collision between a chemical tanker and a fishing vessel in the Arabian Sea has resulted in the sinking of an Indian trawler and the disappearance of two fishermen.

The Panama-flagged tanker Solis struck the locally registered fishing trawler St. Joseph on 8 March while the smaller vessel was anchored about 120 nautical miles off the Kerala coast. The impact occurred around noon, severely damaging the trawler, which sank within minutes.

Of the 11 crew members on board the fishing vessel, nine were rescued by the tanker, while two remain missing and are feared dead.

The Indian Coast Guard ship ICGS Anagh reached the location shortly after the incident and transported the rescued fishermen to Vizhinjam Port. Search operations for the missing crew members are still underway.

India’s Directorate General of Shipping has initiated an investigation to determine the circumstances leading to the collision.

The tanker Solis, built in 2003, measures 145.5 meters in length, with a beam of 23.73 meters and gross tonnage of 11,573.