Several of the captured Indian boats docked in Pakistani waters were reduced to ashes when fires mysteriously broke out the 7th and 8th of this month, Pakistan Today has reliably learnt.
“(The) fires broke out in Indian fishing boats which were seized by the Maritime Security Agency (MSA)… some of the boats were totally burnt while some got partial damages and sank,” the sources close to MSA told Pakistan Today on Monday.
Last week, the MSA had reportedly seized 10 Indian boats with 36 fishermen on board for fishing in Pakistani waters.
At least 50 Indian boats were docked at the harbour Salehabad near the Manora Boat Club when the fire broke out at two different timings, firstly between 4pm and 5pm on Friday and secondly at around midnight early on Saturday.
The first fire came under control relatively easily when the ill-maintained maritime firefighting team, comprising a fire tender of Karachi Port Trust (KPT) and two tugboats of Pakistan Navy, reached the site.
The blaze that broke out at midnight, however, could not be “properly” brought under control, taking at least five hours to extinguish. “The second fire was not extinguished before 7am in the morning,” the sources added.
They said what could have been more dangerous was the anchoring of naval ships, PNS Nasar and PNS Moavin, close to the site of fire.
“Anchoring the Indian boats at a proper and safer place is an issue that requires immediate attention of the authorities concerned,” the sources opined.
They said that even in the past, fires in small wooden Indian boats had been a frequent occurrence at Salehabad, a permanent but “inappropriate” site for docking the vessels seized by MSA agencies for violating Pakistan’s sea border.
“The fire could not be extinguished (on time) because the boats were anchored so helplessly that no swift rescue work could be carried out… it is a point which is neither in deepwater nor nearer to a jetty,” the sources lamented. They said all government agencies taking part in firefighting apparently failed to achieve the desired results as the fire site was not “easily accessible”.
