Seven missing Andhra fishermen traced, says minister
Amaravati, Aug 26 (IANS) Seven fishermen from Andhra Pradesh who have been missing in the Bay of Bengal since early this month have been traced, Minister for Agriculture and Fisheries, Kinjarapu Atchannaidu, announced on Wednesday.
He stated that fishermen reached the West Bengal coast due to a technical issue with their boat. He confirmed that all the fishermen are safe.
Officials verified details by speaking with Bhavani Prasad, the brother of the boat owner.
Measures have been initiated to bring the fishermen home. The minister directed officials to travel to West Bengal.
The fishermen belonging to B. R. Ambedkar Konaseema district had set out into the sea from Odalarevu on August 3. They were scheduled to return on August 12, but the families had lost contact with them.
The minister said the government machinery worked in coordination to trace the fishermen. He commended the District Collector, Commissioner, Joint Director of Fisheries, and others.
He said families of fishermen are relieved upon learning that the fishermen are safe.
Search operations in the Bay of Bengal were intensified on Tuesday with the deployment of 15 Coast Guard vessels and four helicopters.
The minister had revealed that an extensive search operation was being conducted in coordination with the Indian Coast Guard (ICG), the Navy, and other relevant departments, with support from the Central Government.
He noted that, following directives from the Deputy Director General (Operations) at ICG headquarters, the Eastern and North-Eastern Commands in Kolkata were mobilised.
Minister Atchannaidu disclosed that 15 ICG vessels and four helicopters stationed in nearby waters were deployed on Tuesday to expand the search area and accelerate the operation.
The minister stated that electronic surveillance was being conducted simultaneously under the supervision of the Marine Rescue Coordination Centre (MRCC). Maritime authorities in Myanmar and Bangladesh have also been alerted, keeping in mind the possibility of obtaining information or locating the missing boat.
–IANS
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