Seven fishermen had a narrow escape after their fishing boat capsized near the Visakhapatnam Fishing Harbour on Thursday morning amid rough sea conditions triggered by a well-marked low-pressure area over the Bay of Bengal along the Odisha coast, officials said.
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He said the accident caused substantial financial losses to them. The boat, valued at around ₹2.5 lakh, and fishing nets worth nearly ₹2 lakh were completely destroyed, taking the total loss to about ₹4.5 lakh.
This is the third major incident involving fishermen in Bay of Bengal. On July 4, a mechanised fishing vessel carrying seven fishermen from Visakhapatnam capsized about 10 nautical miles off the Gangavaram coast after its engine failed in rough seas. Boat owner Kari Chinna was the lone survivor after drifting for several hours before being rescued by a passing cargo ship.
Following a 72-hour multi-agency search operation by the Indian Coast Guard and the Navy, authorities called off the search and a three-member committee concluded that the six missing fishermen were presumed dead. The government paid ex gratia of ₹10 lakh to each of the bereaved fishermen’s families.
A similar accident took place of off the West Bengal coast, where police recovered the bodies of nine fishermen from the sunken trawler in the Bay of Bengal near the Sundarbans on Monday last.
The trawler, carrying 15 fishermen, had left the Digha Shankarpur Fishing Harbour in Purba Medinipur district on July 2 but went missing after losing contact on July 5 amid adverse weather.
After an eight-day search involving the police, Forest Department and the Indian Coast Guard, the submerged trawler was located near Bagherchar, about 35 kilometres off the Bakkhali coast, and salvaged to Sitarampur in Gobardhanpur, where nine bodies were recovered. Six fishermen remain missing, and joint search operations are continuing.
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“We lost our primary means of livelihood. We appeal to the state government for financial assistance to help us resume fishing,” the survivor said.
State home minister Vangalapudi Anitha spoke over the phone with Visakhapatnam district collector M Abhishikth Kishore and police commissioner Shankara Brata Bagchi and enquired about the incident. She directed them to ensure the best possible medical treatment for the injured fishermen
A statement from her office said the home minister also spoke to the fisheries department officials and asked them to intensify awareness among the fishing community on safety measures during adverse weather. She also assured that the government would stand by the affected fishermen.
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One of the survivors told local reporters that the fishing boat overturned due to a heavy tide which was unexpected. “We believe we are saved with the blessings of Goddess Gangamma,” he said.
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According to a senior police officer from Visakhapatnam police commissionerate, the fishermen ventured into the sea for a fishing expedition at around 7 am when their boat lost control in high waves while they were casting nets.
“The vessel overturned in strong currents and was swept towards the tetrapods near the harbour, trapping the fishermen beneath the overturned boat. The crew managed to cling to the wreckage until they were rescued, escaping with their lives,” he said.
Two fishermen, identified as Tata Rao and Akash, sustained serious injuries in the incident and were shifted to King George Hospital (KGH) in Visakhapatnam, where they are undergoing treatment. The remaining five fishermen, whose names have not been disclosed by the police, escaped unhurt.
