VISAKHAPATNAM: Barely two weeks after six fishermen were lost in a boat capsize off the Visakhapatnam coast, another accident at sea ended in a close call on Thursday when seven fishermen escaped after their boat overturned near the Visakhapatnam Fishing Harbour amid rough sea conditions.
The incident occurred while the crew was hauling in its fishing net. According to the fishermen, strong sea currents suddenly dragged the net, destabilising the boat and causing it to capsize.
With the Bay of Bengal remaining turbulent under the influence of a well-marked low-pressure area off the Odisha coast, the overturned vessel was pushed towards the tetrapods lining the harbour, briefly trapping the fishermen beneath it. The crew managed to cling to the overturned boat until they were rescued. Fishermen at the harbour initially reported that two crew members, Tatarao and Akash, had sustained injuries.
However, King George Hospital (KGH) officials later clarified that both had suffered minor injuries, were administered first aid and discharged. The accident left the crew with substantial financial losses. The boat, reportedly valued at more than Rs 2.5 lakh, and fishing nets worth about Rs 2 lakh were damaged beyond use .
With rains eluding State, Kharif crops on 8.91L hectares face moisture stress.
Anitha reviews situation with Vizag Collector
The fishermen have appealed to the State government for financial assistance.
The mishap comes on the heels of the July 4 tragedy in which six fishermen were presumed dead after the mechanised fishing vessel IND-AP-MM-V5-83 capsized about 10 nautical miles off the Gangavaram coast. The vessel reportedly overturned after its engine failed, leaving boat owner Kari Chinna as the lone survivor.
He drifted for several hours before being rescued by a passing cargo ship. Following a 72-hour search by the Indian Coast Guard and the Indian Navy, which failed to trace the missing fishermen, the State government invoked G.O. Ms. No. 54 to expedite compensation, sanctioning `10 lakh each to the bereaved families.
The latest incident has once again brought the spotlight on safety standards for deep-sea fishing operations along the Andhra Pradesh coast. Following Thursday’s accident, Home Minister Vangalapudi Anitha reviewed the situation with the Visakhapatnam District Collector, the City Police Commissioner and Fisheries Department officials, directing them to ensure appropriate medical care for the injured fishermen, and step up awareness on safety protocols.
Fisheries Minister Kinjarapu Atchannaidu instructed officials to ensure that weather advisories and alerts on sea conditions reach fishermen well in advance, and emphasised the need to promote the use of life jackets and other essential safety equipment before boats venture into the sea.