SINGAPORE VESSEL STRAYS INTO NUKE-PLANT ZONE IN TAMIL NADU

By P. Vijian

TIRUNELVELI (Tamil Nadu), Oct 3 (Bernama) -- Indian security officials were
in a tizzy after a Singapore-flagged cargo vessel with 10 crewmen strayed into
the Indian waters off Tuticorin, close to a nuclear facility under construction,
triggering fears of serious breach of security.

The vessel was believed to be heading to Jeddah and had left Singapore last
month but was forced to anchor in Indian territorial waters on Thursday
evening, about 10 nautical miles from the 2,000 MW nuclear power plant in
Kudankulam in Tirunelveli district, Tamil Nadu.

"According to our investigation, the crew said they had left Singapore on
Sept 19 and were sailing to the Gulf. Most of the 10-crew members are of
Indonesian nationality.

"They said they had to anchor because of bad weather and some crew members
were sick.

"The vessel is now at Tuticorin Port and the Indian Coast Guard will
interrogate further," Tirunelveli Deputy Inspector-General of Police P. Kannapan
told Bernama Saturday.

Fishermen in the vicinity first spotted the foreign vessel and quickly
alerted the coast guards who began investigations.

Reacting to possible breach of security, the Times of India reported that
Nuclear Power Corporation chairman S. K. Jain said "a multi-layered security
system was in place and the security parameters had already been fortified."

No fishing boat or trawler was allowed within 500 metres of the nuclear
plant, which is jointly being built by India and Russia.

But the foreign vessel managed to trespass the highly restricted zone,
despite four patrol ships patrolling the area, and remained unnoticed in the
waters until fishermen alerted the authorities, reported the Times.
-- BERNAMA