Ship Arrested in Hit-and-Run off India

The Kerala high court has ordered the arrest of the Marshall Islands-flagged MV Miletus after the ship was involved in a hit-and-run accident off the Kerala coast on Friday, June 6.  The Times of India reported that the ship was to be arrested on Tuesday, June 10 at Bhavnagar port in Gujarat.

According to police records, a fishing vessel was 10 nautical miles offshore in the Arabian Sea when the merchant vessel rammed it. The fishing boat was badly damaged and nine fishermen on board were rescued by a nearby vessel.

Alerted by other local fishermen, the Indian Coast Guard spotted the suspected ship responsible for the collision the same day around 8.30 p.m. and boarded the vessel.

The captain of the ship admitted that the accident happened earlier that day and entered it in the log book. Since the vessel was going to an Indian port, it was allowed to proceed.

The Bhavnagar port officials and Coast Guard there were alerted.