Cyclone Murasu: 7 of 9 missing TN fishermen dead, says CM Naidu

Amaravati: Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu on Friday, November 6, said that seven of the nine missing Tamil Nadu fishermen have died following a boat capsize off the Andhra Pradesh coast.

Expressing grief over the death of the seven men during adverse weather conditions caused by severe cyclonic storm Murasu recently, he directed officials to intensify the search for two others who remain missing.

“Seven Tamil Nadu fishermen have lost their lives in the boat accident off the Andhra Pradesh coast amid adverse weather conditions caused by severe cyclonic storm Murasu. We have directed officials to intensify search operations to trace the two fishermen who remain missing,” Naidu said in an official press release.

The chief minister enquired with officials about the accident and the ongoing rescue operations.

Officials informed Naidu that search operations had been underway for the past three days and that the boat had washed ashore at Kothapatnam beach in Prakasam district. Seven of the nine fishermen aboard had died, while two were still missing, they said.

Official sources said five bodies were recovered on Thursday and two on Friday.

The bodies were being identified and necessary relief measures were being taken, officials told the CM.

Naidu directed that the Coast Guard, Marine Police, local fishermen and other concerned departments coordinate their efforts and trace the missing fishermen. He also asked officials to expedite the identification of the deceased and post-mortem examinations and ensure that the bodies be handed over to their families without delay.

As the fishermen hailed from Tamil Nadu, Naidu instructed officials to coordinate with their counterparts in the neighbouring state and make arrangements to transport the mortal remains to their native places.

At least nine Tamil Nadu fishermen from Chennai were part of a group whose boats had taken shelter at Andhra Pradesh ports ahead of Cyclone Murasu, which crossed the coast between Nellore and Narsapur, close to Ongole on Tuesday. Three boats were anchored at Ramayapatnam and one at Nizampatnam.

On November 3, the nine fishermen aboard the Nizampatnam-based boat set out for Ramayapatnam to join their colleagues without informing authorities from either states. Their boat capsized amid strong winds.

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