Tamil Nadu announces compensation for fishermen lost off Andhra coast
Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay has promised Rs 7 lakh to families of fishermen whose boat engine failed at sea.
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay has announced compensation of Rs 7 lakh for the families of fishermen who died after their mechanised boat experienced an engine failure off the Andhra Pradesh coast, according to Urban Acres.
The chief minister stated that an immediate payment of Rs 2 lakh will be given to each bereaved family. He also instructed officials to transport recovered bodies to Tamil Nadu at the state's expense for handover to families.
Nine fishermen departed from the Chennai Fishing Harbour on October 29. After receiving storm and severe weather warnings from the Tamil Nadu fisheries department, the crew anchored at Nizampatnam Fishing Harbour in Andhra Pradesh.
The crew last communicated via wireless radio in the early hours of November 3, reporting that they had left for Ramayapatnam Port on the night of November 2 and that their engine had failed. Contact was lost following that transmission.
Three bodies found along the Kothapatnam coast in Prakasam district have been identified as S Mohan, 47, A Murugan, 48, and C Vijayakanth, 44. Two other bodies have been recovered but are awaiting formal identification.
The chief minister has directed officials to speed up the identification process and intensify search operations for the remaining missing fishermen. Search efforts are continuing along the Andhra Pradesh coast using fishing boats and Indian Coast Guard vessels.