On March 8, 2026, an Indian Coast Guard vessel, Anagh, met with the Vietnam-flagged MS Solis off the Tamil Nadu coast to evacuate nine Indian fishermen. These individuals had been rescued from the sea by the crew of the merchant vessel after their fishing boat, St Joseph, collided with the ship on March 7. The Coast Guard vessel later docked at Vizhinjam harbour in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, where emergency responders transported the rescued fishermen to the Government Medical College for urgent medical attention.
Authorities reported that at least two of the fishermen suffered serious injuries due to the mid-sea collision. The fishing boat, which had departed from Shakthikulangara Harbour in Kollam late on March 6, carried a total of 11 fishermen, comprising five from Tamil Nadu and six from West Bengal. The collision occurred when the fishing boat was anchored in a busy international shipping lane off Colachel, unbeknownst to the crew.
Following the incident, the crew of the MS Solis deployed a lifeboat and successfully rescued nine fishermen from the turbulent waters. However, police indicated that at least two fishermen remain missing, and the fishing boat, owned by Rajesh Mathew, was completely destroyed in the accident.
