VIJAYAWADA: The Indian Navy and the Indian Coast Guard have launched a massive multi-agency Search and Rescue (SAR) operation to locate seven fishermen who went missing at sea after venturing out from the Vadarevu (Odalarevu) Fish Landing Centre in Andhra Pradesh.
State Agriculture and Fisheries Minister Kinjarapu Atchannaidu confirmed that comprehensive search measures are underway across maritime and aerial routes to safely bring the fishermen home.
The seven missing fishermen—hailing from Odalarevu, Dummulapeta, and Vasalathippa villages in Dr BR Ambedkar Konaseema district—departed on August 3 aboard a fishing boat bearing Registration No. IND-AP-E8-MO-135.
The crew had informed their families that they expected to return after 10 days.
Naidu orders stricter tracking, wider search for missing fishermen at sea
However, when the boat failed to return on August 13, and all communication ceased, the families alerted authorities on August 16, and the matter was formally reported on August 17 to the Department of Fisheries, Marine Police, and District Administration, prompting immediate defense mobilisation.
Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu convened a high-level review meeting at his camp office with Fisheries Department officials to evaluate ongoing operations.
Questioning officials on the presence of onboard transponders, why the boat ventured out alone, the initial reporting timeline, and early search protocols, the Chief Minister instructed State agencies—including the Real-Time Governance Society (RTGS)—to monitor operations continuously and exhaust every available resource.
Emphasising that State agencies must move beyond post-incident response to proactive disaster prevention, Naidu ordered the strict enforcement of Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs), including mandatory pre-departure registration of all vessels and crew members to enable rapid emergency tracking.
Multi-agency search and rescue operations have intensified progressively across an expanded 216 nautical mile search radius. The response commenced on August 17 when the Indian Coast Guard deployed five ships alongside two Dornier aircraft operating out of Visakhapatnam and Chennai.
