Mechanised fishing boat stuck on rocks close to Pamban bridge

A mechanised fishing boat Wednesday was stuck on rocks close to the over century-old Pamban railway bridge that connects Tamil Nadu's Rameswaram to the mainland, officials said.

Fisheries department said the rope of the boat anchored in Pamban north region got snapped following strong winds and currents in the early hours Wednesday and the boat drifted and got stuck on rocks close to the bridge.

"The boat was stuck on rocks in the shallow waters close to the 2.3 km-long bridge without damaging it," a senior official in the department told PTI, adding that such incidents were usual.

Operations to retrieve the boat is on with the involvement of local fishermen, the official said.

The waters are shallow with rocks and boulders underneath on both the sides of the railway bridge.

According to the Coast Guard, the phenomenon of high winds and strong currents began late Tuesday and is still continuing.

"There is no damage to the bridge and no risk to life. The boat can be retrieved once the level of water goes up due to tides," a senior Coast Guard officer said.

Southern Railway said the railway line has been closed for maintenance since early December.

In 2013, the rail link to Rameswaram was disrupted after a barge towing a naval ship drifted and collided with the railway bridge, damaging it.

The bridge was commissioned in 1915.