Authorities have ended the search for six fishermen who went missing when their boat capsized off the coast of Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh, on July 4. Despite a four-day search by the Indian Navy and Coast Guard, the fishermen could not be located. The decision to presume them dead was made based on information provided by a rescued fisherman.
The search operation, which involved ships and helicopters from the Coast Guard, was conducted until midnight on Tuesday but yielded no results. State Minister Kollu Ravindra announced that the missing fishermen are now presumed dead as no traces of them were found after an extensive search lasting over 72 hours. The families of the fishermen were consoled, and each family was provided financial assistance of Rs 10 lakh.
A group of seven fishermen set out for fishing from Visakhapatnam Fishing Harbour on July 1, with the boat encountering mechanical failure and capsizing on their return journey. One fisherman was rescued by a merchant vessel, while the fate of the remaining six remained unknown. The families of the missing fishermen were left devastated by the turn of events, as hopes for their safe return faded.
The missing fishermen’s families raised the alarm when the fishermen failed to return as scheduled on July 4, with their mobile phones switched off. The rough sea conditions, attributed to a low-pressure area in the Bay of Bengal, added to the families’ concerns. The state government, upon calling off the search operation, announced financial aid for the families of the missing fishermen to assist them during this difficult time.
