The boat with the migrants reportedly left Munambam harbour on January 12 (Representational)
The Coast Guard and the Navy are still searching for a fishing trawler with over 100 Indians that set off from Munambam port in Kerala's rural Ernakulam to an unknown destination over ten days ago.
"The boat is carrying around 100-120 people, including residents of Delhi and second-generation Tamil migrants. Upon being questioned, a few people told us that their destination is New Zealand. That, however, cannot be taken at face value. Our investigation is still on," a senior Kerala police officer told NDTV. He, however, did not rule out the possibility of the travellers trying to get to another country with a better standard of living.
The boat is suspected to have left Munambam harbour on January 12. Identification documents as well as over 70 bags left behind by the migrants have reportedly been recovered.
"We were asked to assist with search operations on January 13, and initial information suggested that around 50 people had gone missing. The Coast Guard and the Navy are jointly conducting search operations," said Defence Spokesperson Commander Sridhar Warrier.