Body of Missing Driver Found After Vehicle Plunges into Chennai Harbour
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Chennai, Dec 19 (NationPress) The remains of Mohammed Shahi, aged 33, who disappeared on Tuesday evening after his vehicle went into the sea at Chennai Harbour, have been retrieved.
Reports indicate that his body was discovered approximately 100 meters from the accident location.
Shahi was employed as a temporary driver for a Coast Guard officer at the Chennai Port when the incident occurred while he was reversing a Tavera vehicle at Jawahar Dock-5 on Tuesday night (December 17).
The car, which contained Coast Guard Officer Jagendra Kanda, unexpectedly lost control and plunged into the sea.
Kanda was able to shatter the windshield, exit through the car window, and swim to safety; however, he fainted shortly after reaching land and was taken to a hospital for care.
Unfortunately, Shahi was trapped inside the vehicle as it sank to a depth of 85 feet. A rescue operation commenced immediately, involving over 30 Coast Guard members, 20 firefighters, scuba divers, and port police.
Even though the rescue team succeeded in recovering the submerged vehicle, they were unable to locate Shahi on Tuesday night due to poor visibility and challenging conditions. The search resumed on Wednesday but continued without success until Thursday morning when Coast Guard and Tamil Nadu Fire and Rescue officials finally retrieved Shahi’s body. The remains have been sent for a post-mortem examination.
On Wednesday, Shahi’s family arrived at the harbour and held a protest demanding prompt action to find him. Police officials engaged with the family to calm them as search efforts progressed.
Authorities stated that after the post-mortem at the Rajiv Gandhi Government General Hospital, Shahi’s body would be returned to his family.
Family members and community advocates have called on Chennai Port Trust authorities to provide compensation to the family of the deceased.
The Harbour Police have opened a case, and an investigation is underway. Authorities are also examining whether a tire burst caused Shahi to lose control of the vehicle.
Coast Guard personnel have been stationed at Chennai Port for security measures.
