Fishermen from Kasimedu who had drifted to Myanmar are now returning home. They are expected to land in Chennai on Thursday morning. They landed in Delhi on Wednesday evening.
The eight-member team left the Kasimedu fishing harbour in July and lost contact with the shore after their boat developed a snag. They drifted at sea for over 50 days and were rescued by the Myanmar Coast Guard.
It was nine men who had actually left, but one of them fell into the sea while anchoring the boat a couple of days after being rescued in Myanmar. A search was launched for the man.
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Former MLA and a leader of the community, M. Ilango, said it was worrying that the State government was “not interested in the safety and welfare of fishermen”. “They do all they can to rescue those involved in cutting and smuggling red sanders from neighbouring States, but nothing much for fishermen who go to the sea, endangering their lives,” he said.