The Hindu : Dhow gutted

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Friday, Jan 02, 2004

Southern States

Southern States - Kerala-Kochi

Dhow gutted

By Our Staff Reporter

Vasco Da Gama, the dhow that was gutted on Thursday morning at Mulavukad, floating in the backwaters. Photo;Vipin Chandran

KOCHI JAN. 1. A 200-seater dhow was completely gutted in a pre-dawn fire at Ponnarimangalam, Mulavukad, today. The incident occurred at around 5 a.m.

The dhow, Vasco Da Gama, was anchored in the boat-building yard of Aishwarya Marine, at Ponnarimangalam in the Mulavukad Island. The two-month-old vessel had been used to take New Year revellers around the backwaters on Wednesday night.

The owner of Aishwarya Marine, K.A. Joseph, said that workers who were taking rest in the dhow had gone for morning tea at around 4.30 a.m. When they returned, they saw smoke bellowing out of the rear of the vessel. Despite the workers and local people trying their best to douse the fire, it engulfed the vessel within minutes.

"We had no other option but to cut the rope that held the dhow to the shore, so as to prevent the fire from spreading to boats anchored nearby," Joseph said. It lay adrift in the backwaters until 7.30 p.m, before sinking. The double deck dhow, costing around Rs.40 lakh, was made of fibre and wood and was insured. The lower deck had a dance floor and the upper deck could be used as a conference hall. The 65-feet long and 18-feet wide dhow was insured.

An enquiry is on to ascertain the cause of the fire. The Mulavukad Police said that no case has been registered so far.

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