The Andhra Pradesh Government has intensified efforts to locate the whereabouts of fishermen who are missing for the past five days. While two fishermen are beleived dead, more than 20 of them reached Bhavanapadu, Visakhapatnam, Kakinada and other places.
Agriculture Minister P. Pulla Rao said at a press conference here on Monday, the Government deployed few aircraft of the Indian Navy, Coast Guard helicopters in addition to a couple of private choppers to trace the missing fishermen.
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According to the Minister, two deaths were reported so far while the whereabouts of the remaining fishermen who ventured into the sea in over dozen boats was not yet known.
Kakinada Reporter add: Two fishing boats with 11 fishermen on board reached the Kakinada shore on Monday morning. According to the information provided by the fishermen, five fishermen in another boat had reached the shore near Srikakulam, as they needed medical treatment.
They also said that one more boat would reach Kakinada shore by the afternoon. Personnel from the Indian Coastguard Station were continuing the search operations by using their patrolling vessel for the third consecutive day.
7 reach Bhavanapadu
Seven fishermen of East Godavari district reached Bhavanapadu beach in Srikakulam District of Andhra Pradesh safely in the early hours of Monday. They could reach after facing many ordeals in the sea for the last few days. The locals provided food and shelter and inquired about their heath.
Many of them looked very weak due to lack of food in the boat which also did not have fuel, forcing them to stay in the sea for the last few days. The locals provided fuel and sent them to their native places in East Godavari District.
Coast Guard search
Machilipatnam Correspondent adds: The Indian Coast Guard (ICG) has launched a massive search for six fishermen who have been missing since Wednesday evening off the Machilipatnam coast in Krishna District of Andhra Pradesh.
Machilipatnam Revenue Division Officer P. Saibaba told The Hindu that the ICG authorities had launched a massive search operation towards the Tamil Nadu coast and adjoining Sri Lanka coast.
“Since there is no availability of helicopter at its Nellore and Kakinada battalions, the ICG has taken help from the Tamil Nadu-based Coast Guard battalions and deployed a helicopter on Monday morning to locate the missing fishermen”, added Mr. Saibaba.
A boat deployed by the ICG on Sunday could not trace the location of the fishermen during their search conducted between Kakinada and Nellore coasts. The fishermen who went missing from Gilakaladindi harbor on Wednesday had been identified as T. Nagaraju and S. Nagoor of Gilakaladindi and K. Venkateswarulu, K. Chittibabu and others belonging to Nellore district.
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