Lanka ferry hits snag near Nagai, 142 passengers stranded at sea for 4 hours

Trichy: The passenger ferry operating between Nagapattinam and Kankesanthurai suffered an engine snag amid rough weather on Friday night, leaving 142 passengers and 13 crew members stranded offshore for four hours before being towed safely to Nagapattinam port.The vessel, ‘Sivagangai,' is operated between India and Sri Lanka by Trichy-based firm Subham Ferry. On Friday, it departed from Nagapattinam at 7.30am with 117 passengers and reached Kankesanthurai around 1pm. It then left Kankesanthurai port at 2:15pm carrying 142 passengers, including 90 Indian citizens, 50 Sri Lankan citizens, one British national and one French national, along with 13 crew members comprising the captain, three stewards and nine seamen.During the return voyage, the vessel encountered rough weather, which caused a snag in one of its three engines. The ferry neared Nagapattinam with its remaining engines around 7.20pm but anchored approximately two nautical miles from shore. The captain and crew deemed it unsafe to navigate the port's narrow channel with reduced power."The crew anchored offshore because manoeuvring inside the port's limited passage with an engine failure posed serious risks. We immediately arranged for towing," Subham Ferry chairperson Sundarraj Ponnusamy said.The crew and the ferry management alerted Indian Coast Guard and port authorities. With assistance from the operator's mechanised boat and another arranged from local fishermen, the ferry's bow was secured and safely towed to the port by 10.30pm.To ease passenger discomfort during the wait, the crew served a complimentary dinner. However, rough seas caused dizziness and sea sickness for several travellers. "Many of us became worried and frightened when the ferry stopped moving," said passenger Sridevi. "What began as an exciting journey turned into a stressful ordeal."Another passenger, Kailash, expressed concern over safety: "We urge the ferry operator to take all necessary measures to prevent such incidents in future and avoid endangering passengers' lives." Medical teams attended to those feeling unwell upon arrival. The passengers reported disrupted travel plans due to the delay as they exited the terminal.The ferry service has been temporarily suspended for repairs and is expected to resume operations shortly, according to the operator.