Boat capsizes off Andhra coast: 3 more Tamil Nadu fishermen’s bodies recovered, death toll at 7

Three more bodies were recovered off Andhra Pradesh after a boat carrying nine Tamil Nadu fishermen capsized amid Cyclone Murasu. Two remain missing.

Three more bodies of Tamil Nadu fishermen who went missing after their boat capsized off the Andhra Pradesh coast amid Cyclone Murasu were recovered on Friday, taking the death toll to seven. Two fishermen remain missing, with search operations continuing, officials said.

In an official statement, chief minister N Chandrababu Naidu’s office said that the fishing boat, carrying nine fishermen, was washed ashore at Kothapatnam beach in Prakasam district.

“Seven of the nine fishermen were found dead, while the remaining two were reported missing. Efforts are being made to identify the bodies and complete the necessary formalities. The search operation for the two missing fishermen is continuing,” the CMO statement added.

According to Prakasam district collector P Raja Babu, the fishermen had ventured into the sea from Chennai on October 29 but were swept towards the Andhra coast due to Cyclone Murasu.

“The fishermen had anchored at Nizampatnam Port for safety during Cyclone Murasu but tragically capsized on November 3 while attempting to navigate toward Ramayapatnam Port. Three bodies washed ashore, and a fourth was retrieved during search operations till Thursday,” he said, adding that three more bodies were recovered on Friday morning.

Describing the incident as unfortunate, Naidu said it was particularly distressing that the accident occurred when adverse weather conditions prevailed in the sea under the influence of Cyclone Murasu. He conveyed his heartfelt condolences to the bereaved families.

The chief minister enquired with officials about the search and rescue operations being conducted to trace the missing fishermen. Officials informed him that search operations had been underway for the past three days.

He directed officials to ensure close coordination among all the departments and agencies involved in the rescue and search operations, including the Coast Guard, Marine Police and teams of local fishermen.

He instructed the authorities to expedite the identification of the deceased, post-mortem examinations and other necessary procedures so that the bodies could be handed over to their families without delay.

As the deceased fishermen belonged to Tamil Nadu, Naidu also directed officials to coordinate with their counterparts in the neighbouring state and make arrangements for transporting the bodies to their respective native places.

Collector Babu said the bodies were being shifted to the local Government General Hospital (GGH) mortuary for post-mortem examinations and other formalities. The Tamil Nadu government would soon send officials to Andhra Pradesh to make arrangements for the deceased and coordinate the search operation for the remaining victims of the capsized boat, he added.

Srinivasa Rao is Senior Assistant Editor based out of Hyderabad covering developments in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana . He has over three decades of reporting experience.