Seven Tamil Nadu fishermen found dead after boat capsizes off Andhra coast

Seven of the nine Tamil Nadu fishermen who went missing after their boat capsized off the Prakasam coast in Andhra Pradesh have been found dead. Their bodies were handed over to their families in Ongole on Friday, November 6, and taken to Chennai.The two remaining fishermen are still missing, with the Indian Coast Guard, Navy, and local authorities continuing search operations near Kothapatnam. Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu has directed officials to intensify the search and coordinate with the Coast Guard, Marine Police, and local fishing communities.The fishermen had left Kasimedu fishing harbour in Chennai on October 29. Following a weather warning ahead of Cyclone Murasu, they took shelter at Nizampatnam harbour in Andhra Pradesh. They set out for Ramayapatnam on November 2, but their boat developed engine trouble at sea on November 3. The Coast Guard later located the capsized vessel off the Kothapatnam coast.Five bodies were recovered on Thursday and two more washed ashore on Friday. The bodies were found along the Kothapatnam and Voollapalem coasts and were taken to the Government General Hospital in Ongole. Family members who travelled from Chennai identified the deceased, after which postmortem examinations and other formalities were completed.The deceased have been identified as Mohan, 47, Murugan, 48, Pakkirisamy, 49, Vijayakanth, 44, Kuppusamy, 58, Kuppan, 48, and Aravindh, 40. They were from Royapuram, RK Nagar, Thiruvottiyur, and Tondiarpet in Chennai. The families left for Tamil Nadu with the bodies on November 6 evening.Tamil Nadu Finance Minister N Marie Wilson, who reached Ongole on November 5 night on the instructions of Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay, coordinated with Andhra Pradesh officials and the families. The Prakasam district administration arranged for the postmortems and transportation of the bodies. Wilson and his team also returned to Tamil Nadu on November 6 evening.Wilson thanked the Andhra Pradesh government, district administration, police, Coast Guard, and local residents for their assistance. He said the search for the two missing fishermen would continue.The Tamil Nadu government has announced compensation of Rs 7 lakh for each deceased fisherman's family. The Fisheries Minister had also distributed Rs 2 lakh in cash to each family, Wilson said.The tragedy has drawn criticism from opposition leaders in Tamil Nadu over the response to the missing fishermen. DMK MP Kanimozhi questioned why immediate action was not taken after authorities were informed that the fishermen were missing. She also demanded higher compensation for the families.Leader of the Opposition Udhayanidhi Stalin questioned how the boat had been allowed to venture into the sea despite weather advisories and called for enhanced relief. Families of the missing fishermen had earlier accused authorities of delaying the search.Wilson said the boat lacked mandatory safety equipment, proper commercial insurance, and essential regulatory documents. He said the government would strengthen marine safety protocols and enforcement to prevent similar incidents.The capsized boat remains partly buried in sand and mud in shallow waters. Ongole RDO Chandrasekhar Naidu told The New Indian Express that retrieving it could require heavy machinery and expert assistance. The operation to recover the vessel will be taken up in consultation with the relevant authorities.Meanwhile, Wilson appealed to the Andhra Pradesh government to release eight Tamil Nadu fishing boats that have been impounded for more than three months.  Speaking to The Hans India, he said the boats were worth around Rs 5 crore and their release was important to protect the livelihoods of the fishermen and their families.He said Tamil Nadu wanted to resolve the dispute through discussions rather than legal proceedings. Tamil Nadu Chief Minister and Chief Secretary had written to the Andhra Pradesh government, he said, adding that the state would ensure its fishermen complied with restrictions on fishing in Andhra Pradesh waters.Wilson said fishermen from southern districts such as Karaikal and Nagapattinam sometimes ventured beyond their usual fishing limits when catches in local waters were low. Fishing is the only source of income for these families, he said.