VIZHINJAM: Five Indians, including a Malayali, are on board the San Fernando, the first ship to arrive at the international port. There are 22 people on board. It is hinted that Prajeesh Govindaraj is the Malayali on board. The other four are from North India.

The ship, which reached the open sea late tonight, will arrive at four nautical tomorrow morning at six o'clock. Pilot Tushar Kanitkar will approach the ship from the port in Ocean Prestige tug at 7.30 am. He will then take control of the ship from Captain Volodymyr Bondarenko, a native of Russia. It will be accompanied by three tugs that remain in port at this time. The pilot and co-pilot Captain CB George will berth the first ship at 10 am accompanied by a water salute. Following which mooring will take place. Container unloading and trial run will be done in the presence of Ministers VN Vasavan and Saji Cherian.

Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan will give a reception at 10 am on the 12th. Union Shipping Minister Sarbananda Sonowal will be the chief guest of the ceremony under the chairmanship of Minister Vasavan. Ministers K Rajan, KN Balagopal, V Sivankutty, Saji Cherian, GR Anil, Dr Shashi Tharoor MP, M Vincent MLA, Mayor Arya Rajendran, Adani Ports CEO Karan Adani and others will be present.

1500 policemen for security

1500 policemen will be appointed under the leadership of Commissioner G Sparjan Kumar for the reception ceremony. Under the leadership of Coastal Police AIG Poonguzhali, 64 policemen and coastal wardens in 12 boats will conduct surveillance in the sea. Fishing boats will be restricted at certain locations in the sea. The Coastal Police started monitoring the sea from six o'clock today morning. 150 security personnel and eight Rapid Action Force personnel of the port company will be on shore. Seats for 7000 people were prepared in the pandal for the function.