Six fishermen are missing after a fishing boat reportedly capsized off the Visakhapatnam (Vizag) coast amid severe monsoon-related weather conditions, rough seas and strong winds, while one fisherman has been rescued by a passing cruise ship, officials and fishing association representatives said.
The incident occurred after a seven-member crew set out from Vizag fishing harbour on July 1 for a routine fishing trip. The vessel is suspected to have overturned due to adverse weather conditions linked to the advancing monsoon in the Bay of Bengal region, with strong winds and turbulent seas affecting large parts of the coastline, as per PTI reports.
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The crew had informed family members that they were expected to return by July 4. However, when the boat failed to arrive at the scheduled time and all mobile phones were found switched off, anxious family members alerted the Marine Police and Coast Guard, triggering an emergency response at sea.
“At present, the personnel from the Indian Coast Guard and Marine Police are trying to trace the missing fishermen,” an official said, citing Xinhua Net.
Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu reviewed rescue efforts after speaking with senior officials regarding the six missing Visakhapatnam fishermen. Officials briefed the Chief Minister on the steps taken to trace the missing fishermen. Naidu directed authorities to intensify the search operation by deploying additional Coast Guard vessels. He was also informed that the rescue efforts had been expanded, with the Indian Navy deploying helicopters to assist in locating the missing crew.
He directed Marine and Visakhapatnam Police officials to coordinate search efforts at sea and instructed them to keep him regularly updated on the progress of the ongoing operation.
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According to officials, the ship's crew spotted five fishermen in the sea during the rescue operation and immediately assisted in bringing them onboard the vessel for safety. Based on information provided by him and the ship's crew, the Coast Guard was alerted immediately and coordinated further search and rescue operations in the affected sea area, as per local media.
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