A tragic incident occurred on Thursday night off the coast of Goa when an Indian Navy submarine collided with a fishing trawler, leaving two fishermen missing. The fishing vessel, Marthoma, with a crew of 13, was reportedly struck approximately 70 nautical miles northwest of Goa, near Malvan.
The Indian Navy immediately launched a large-scale search and rescue operation, deploying six ships and aircraft to the area. The Indian Coast Guard also joined the effort, providing additional vessels to assist in locating the missing crew members.
Eleven of the 13 crew members were rescued by nearby fishing vessels and naval ships. However, despite the extensive search efforts, two fishermen remain missing.
"Coordinated search and rescue efforts for the remaining two crew of Marthoma, which reportedly collided with an Indian Naval submarine about 70 nm northwest of Goa, are in progress. Additional assets, including those from the Coast Guard, have been diverted to the area to augment the efforts," the Navy said in a statement.
While the Navy has not released further details regarding the collision, sources indicate that the submarine involved was a Scorpene class vessel. These submarines are known for their versatility, capable of performing a wide range of functions, including anti-surface and anti-submarine warfare, intelligence gathering, mine laying, and area surveillance.
This is not the first such incident in the region. In August of this year, a fishing boat collided with a Sri Lankan naval vessel off the coast of Tamil Nadu, resulting in the drowning of one fisherman. This unfortunate event highlights the potential risks faced by fishing vessels operating in areas with naval activity.
The Navy has ordered a high-level investigation into the incident to determine the cause of the collision and prevent similar incidents in the future.
