The Indian Coast Guard has launched a search operation for nine fishermen from Chennai’s Kasimedu after their trawler went missing off the Andhra Pradesh coast during severe cyclonic weather. A Coast Guard ship and helicopter have been assigned to the effort, but no confirmed information about the vessel or its crew was available by Wednesday evening.
The fishing boat had been operating near the northern Andhra Pradesh coast when storm Murasu struck in the early hours of Tuesday. The crew transmitted a distress message between 3:30 am and 5:30 am, as the weather deteriorated. The vessel had taken shelter near Nizampatnam Bay and was anchored alongside another fishing boat when strong winds and rough seas affected the area.
According to the fisheries official cited by The New Indian Express, the two vessels were dragged from their positions. The second boat drifted nearly 20 nautical miles and was itself unable to assist after water entered its engine room. The missing crew had earlier used VHF radio to report that water was entering their own engine room and to request help.
“The last time the missing fishermen communicated with the other vessel over VHF, they said water was entering the engine room and sought help,” the fisheries official said.
The last communication with the fishermen was recorded between 2 am and 3 am on 3 November. When the other vessel’s crew later attempted to find the trawler, it was no longer in the area. More than 32 fishing boats operating nearby were alerted through VHF radio, while marine police and authorities in Kakinada, Ongole and Bapatla were informed.
Details of the missing crew
- K Pakkirisamy, alias Suriya, 49, the boat’s driver
- M Kuppan, 48; S Mohan, 47; K Rajesh, 52; and A Murugan, 48
- L Kuppusamy, 58; C Vijayakanth, 44; A Aravindh, 40; and M Narayanan, 57
Eight of the fishermen are from Kasimedu, while Narayanan is from Cuddalore. Police said the boat’s owner, Selvalagan, was not aboard when the trawler left the harbour on 29 October. The crew had been following a regular deep-sea fishing route used by boats from Chennai towards the northern Andhra coast.
The incident highlights the risks faced by fishing crews operating along the Bay of Bengal during severe weather, particularly when vessels seek temporary shelter close to a bay or another fishing boat. In this case, the deteriorating conditions, engine-room flooding and the drift of both vessels prevented the nearby crew from reaching the missing trawler. The Coast Guard-led search remains under way, with information from fishing boats and marine authorities being used to trace the vessel and its crew.
