7 escape in Vizag as fishing boat capsizes

Seven fishermen narrowly avoided death after their fishing boat capsized near the Visakhapatnam Fishing Harbour on Thursday morning, according to officials. The incident occurred under rough sea conditions linked to a well-marked low-pressure system over the Bay of Bengal along the Odisha coast. The fishermen had set out for a routine fishing expedition around 7 am when their vessel lost control in high waves while casting nets. A senior police officer from the Visakhapatnam police commissionerate described how the boat overturned in strong currents and was carried toward the tetrapods near the harbor, trapping the fishermen beneath the flipped vessel. The crew clung to the wreckage until they were rescued, escaping with their lives. Two of the fishermen, named Tata Rao and Akash, suffered serious injuries and were taken to King George Hospital in Visakhapatnam for treatment. The other five remained unharmed, though their identities were not disclosed by the police. One of the survivors told local media that the boat overturned due to an unexpected heavy tide. He expressed gratitude to the goddess Gangamma, believing their survival was a divine blessing. The incident resulted in significant financial loss, with the boat valued at approximately ₹2.5 lakh and the fishing nets costing nearly ₹2 lakh, leading to a total loss of about ₹4.5 lakh. The survivor stated that the loss has rendered them unable to continue their primary source of income and appealed to the state government for financial aid to restart their fishing activities. State Home Minister Vangalapudi Anitha contacted officials including the district collector and police commissioner to inquire about the incident. She directed them to provide the best possible medical care for the injured fishermen. A statement from her office noted that she also spoke with fisheries department officials and urged them to increase awareness among the fishing community regarding safety protocols during severe weather. The minister assured the affected fishermen that the government would support them through this crisis. This incident marks the third such major tragedy involving fishermen in the Bay of Bengal region. Earlier in July, a mechanised fishing vessel carrying seven fishermen from Visakhapatnam capsized about 10 nautical miles off the Gangavaram coast after its engine failed in rough seas. Only the boat owner, Kari Chinna, survived after drifting for several hours before being rescued by a passing cargo ship. Following a 72-hour search effort by the Indian Coast Guard and the Navy, the search was called off, and a three-member committee concluded that the six missing fishermen were presumed dead. The government later provided ex gratia compensation of ₹10 lakh to each of the bereaved families. Another similar incident occurred off the West Bengal coast, where police recovered the bodies of nine fishermen from a sunken trawler in the Bay of Bengal near the Sundarbans on Monday. The trawler, carrying 15 fishermen, departed from the Digha Shankarpur Fishing Harbour in Purba Medinipur district on July 2 but went missing after losing contact on July 5 amidst adverse weather conditions. After an eight-day search involving the police, Forest Department, and the Indian Coast Guard, the vessel was found near Bagherchar, approximately 35 kilometers off the Bakkhali coast, and salvaged to Sitarampur in Gobardhanpur. Nine bodies were recovered, while six fishermen remain missing, with ongoing joint search efforts underway.