Nine fishermen missing off Chennai coast during Cyclone Murasu
The crew of a mechanised boat went missing after losing contact during rough weather conditions near Kasimedu fishing harbour.
Nine fishermen have gone missing at sea after their mechanised boat lost contact during Cyclone Murasu, according to reports by The Pioneer and other outlets on Wednesday. The crew departed from the Kasimedu fishing harbour in Chennai on October 29 for a deep-sea fishing expedition.
The vessel, registered as TN 02 MM 2584 and owned by Selvalagan, was last in communication at 3 pm on November 3. Fisherman Sathish Kumar said the crew had been advised to return to shore due to bad weather but were unable to do so, leading them to anchor next to another boat.
The disappearance was noted on the morning of November 4 when drivers of the adjacent boat, Saravanan and Surya, reported that the vessel was no longer at its anchored position. Kumar stated that while they had been in touch until Sunday afternoon, the boat has since vanished.
Local fishermen have filed official grievances with the Assistant Director of Fisheries, the Coast Guard, and state ministers to seek help. Kumar noted that they have sent letters to the state government and the Coast Guard but have not yet received any updates.
The fishing community has requested the Tamil Nadu government to deploy helicopters and Coast Guard ships to locate and rescue the nine men. Kumar added that the families of the missing fishermen are extremely worried.