Visakhapatnam: Indian Navy and Indian Coast Guard called off four-day joint search and rescue operation to trace out six fishermen who went missing after their boat sank off the Visakhapatnam coast.
Despite extensive efforts at sea, involving multiple vessels and aerial surveillance, rescue teams were unable to trace the missing fishermen. The search operation continued until midnight on Tuesday before being called off late Tuesday night.
According to officials, the boat, ENJ-APEMLF-83, carrying seven fishermen, had ventured into the sea from the Visakhapatnam Fishing Harbour on July 1, and never returned. It emerged on Saturday afternoon that the sea had turned rough, with strong winds and high waves causing the boat to capsize.
The end of the search operation has plunged fishing communities across the region into grief. Family members, who had been anxiously awaiting the safe return of their loved ones, were left devastated by the announcement.
The lone survivor Kari Chinnaiah was airlifted from the Panama-flagged merchant vessel MV Universe Wealthy to INS Dega. Officials said he underwent a preliminary medical examination, was found to be in good health, and was later shifted to KIMS ICON Hospital for further medical evaluation.
Kari Chinnaiah recalled that the sea turned wild with strong currents on Saturday and the boat's helm broke. Chinnaiah said he was unable to alert anyone to the accident as his cell phone had fallen into the sea. While Chinnaiah managed to survive, the remaining six have been missing since the incident. He was spotted by a commercial ship on Sunday morning and rescued with ropes thrown from the vessel.
The Andhra Pradesh government has initiated relief measures for the affected families. Revenue Minister Kinjarapu Atchannaidu directed the Visakhapatnam District Collector to provide immediate financial assistance of ₹10 lakh to the family of each missing fisherman.
Meanwhile, Fisheries Minister K Ravindra arrived in Visakhapatnam to meet the families of the missing fishermen. He is expected to review the circumstances surrounding the accident, assess the impact on the affected families and assure them of the government's support.
Officials said the government would continue to extend all possible assistance to the victims' families as they cope with the tragedy. The incident has once again highlighted the risks faced by fishermen venturing into the sea during adverse weather conditions in the Bay of Bengal.