Two fishermen were injured, and five others narrowly escaped harm when their fishing boat capsized near Visakhapatnam Fishing Harbour in Andhra Pradesh. The incident occurred due to rough sea conditions, trapping the fishermen under the boat. Fortunately, they managed to push the boat aside and reach safety on nearby boulders, where they were rescued by the marine police.
The injured fishermen, Thatha Rao and Akash, were taken to King George Hospital for treatment. They reported that their boat, valued at Rs 2.5 lakh, along with equipment worth Rs 2 lakh, was completely destroyed in the accident. Seeking financial aid to support their livelihood, they appealed to the government for assistance.
This mishap comes shortly after another tragic incident where six fishermen lost their lives when their boat capsized off the Visakhapatnam coast. The previous incident involved a mechanised fishing vessel carrying seven fisherfolk, which capsized just 10 nautical miles off the Gangavaram coast on July 4. While one fisherman was rescued by a merchant vessel and brought ashore, the search for the remaining six was unsuccessful.
The state government provided Rs 10 lakh each as ex-gratia to the families of the deceased fishermen. Former Chief Minister and YSR Congress Party President Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy criticized the government for negligence, holding them responsible for the fishermen’s deaths. He demanded compensation of Rs one crore for each affected family, highlighting the lack of response from officials despite distress calls and SOS messages from the affected families.
