Andhra Pradesh

Aerial search to trace fishermen

Correspondent

Kakinada: Efforts are on, including aerial search by coastal guard helicopters and on the deep sea by mercantile ships, to trace the five fishermen of Dummulapet area here who are found missing while fishing on their fibre glass motor boat.

All the five fishermen left for fishing on July 2, but failed to return within three days, the scheduled time. The agitated family members complained to the police and also to the Fisheries Department.

Assistant Director of Fisheries V. Ramamohana Rao told The Hindu that the efforts of the coast guard to trace the missing fishermen had proved futile. However, as a last resort, he requested the coast guard authorities at Chennai to conduct aerial search off the Paradeep or Kolkota with the hope that the boat might have drifted in a northeast direction.

Meanwhile, urban tehasildar Ch. Sattiraju visited Dummulapet area and made personal enquiries about the situation that led to the disappearance of the fishing boat along with five-member crew.

© Copyright 2000 - 2009 The Hindu