7 escape in Vizag as fishing boat capsizes

7 Fishermen Survive Vizag Boat Capsizing Amid Stormy Conditions

Bharatmorningnews.com – Seven fishermen narrowly avoided disaster when their vessel capsized near Visakhapatnam Fishing Harbour on Thursday morning, according to local officials. The incident occurred under harsh sea conditions caused by a low-pressure system over the Bay of Bengal, along the Odisha coast.

A senior police officer from the Visakhapatnam police commissionerate reported that the crew had set out for a fishing trip at approximately 7 am. The boat lost control in high waves while deploying nets, leading to a sudden overturning. Strong currents dragged the vessel toward the tetrapods near the harbour, trapping the fishermen underneath.

“The crew clung to the wreckage until rescue teams reached them, escaping with their lives,” the officer said.

Two of the survivors, Tata Rao and Akash, were hospitalized at King George Hospital (KGH) in Visakhapatnam for treatment. The remaining five fishermen, whose identities were not released, sustained no injuries.

One survivor told local media that the boat overturned due to an unexpected heavy tide. “We believe we are saved with the blessings of Goddess Gangamma,” he added.

The incident resulted in significant financial losses, with the damaged boat valued at around ₹2.5 lakh and fishing nets worth nearly ₹2 lakh lost. The total cost of the loss is estimated at approximately ₹4.5 lakh.

“We lost our main source of income. We seek financial aid from the state government to restart our fishing activities,” the survivor said.

State home minister Vangalapudi Anitha contacted officials in Visakhapatnam, including district collector M Abhishikth Kishore and police commissioner Shankara Brata Bagchi, to assess the situation. She emphasized ensuring optimal medical care for the injured.

The minister’s office noted that she also spoke with fisheries department representatives and urged them to bolster safety awareness among fishermen during severe weather. She pledged government support for the affected families.

Previous Coastal Disasters Highlight Ongoing Risks

This incident marks the third major disaster in the Bay of Bengal region involving fishermen. Earlier, on July 4, a mechanized fishing vessel carrying seven crew members from Visakhapatnam capsized about 10 nautical miles off the Gangavaram coast after its engine failed in rough seas. Only boat owner Kari Chinna survived, rescued by a cargo ship after drifting for several hours.

Authorities conducted a 72-hour search involving the Indian Coast Guard and Navy before declaring the six missing fishermen as presumed dead. The government provided ex gratia payments of ₹10 lakh to each family of the deceased.

Recently, a similar tragedy occurred off the West Bengal coast, where nine fishermen’s bodies were recovered from a sunken trawler near the Sundarbans. The vessel, carrying 15 crew members, departed from Digha Shankarpur Fishing Harbour in Purba Medinipur district on July 2 but vanished after losing contact on July 5 amid adverse weather.

After an eight-day search involving the police, Forest Department, and Coast Guard, the trawler was found 35 kilometres off the Bakkhali coast. It was salvaged to Sitarampur in Gobardhanpur, where nine bodies were recovered. Six fishermen remain missing, and joint operations continue to locate them.

Srinivasa Rao, a Senior Assistant Editor based in Hyderabad, covers developments in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana. With over three decades of experience in reporting, he provides in-depth insights into regional issues.