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🇮🇳 India /Disasters & Emergencies

Seven Andhra fishermen missing for 3 weeks found alive off West Bengal coast

From Hindustan Times · () English

Translated from English and summarized by DistantNews. Read the original for the full story.

At a glance

News Official statement Outcome reported
  • Seven fishermen from Andhra Pradesh, missing for over three weeks, were found alive off the coast of West Bengal.
  • Their boat suffered mechanical failures, leaving them stranded and rationing food for days.
  • The fishermen are in stable condition and will be returned to their native places after medical checks.

Seven fishermen from India's Andhra Pradesh state, who had been missing at sea for more than three weeks, were found alive off the coast of West Bengal. Officials confirmed their rescue on Wednesday.

The rescued fishermen were later brought to safety near Shankarpur Fishing Harbour. They were shifted to a hospital for medical examinations as a precaution. Their health condition is stable and after they fully recover from their shock, they will be brought back to their native places by tonight or Friday.

— K AtchannaiduState agriculture minister K Atchannaidu told reporters about the fishermen's condition and planned return.

The fishermen, identified by name, were located in the Bay of Bengal by a Kolkata-based fishing boat. They were brought to the Shankarpur Fishing Harbour and taken to a hospital for precautionary medical examinations. Their health is reported as stable.

Their ordeal began on August 3 when they set out from the Odalarevu Fish Landing Centre. Their boat experienced a series of mechanical failures, starting with a clutch-plate issue and progressing to a failed engine gearbox. Despite repairs, the engine failed completely about 50 nautical miles offshore, leaving them stranded.

I virtually lost hope, as I have not heard from my husband since August 6. Yet, I was praying to god to see that he is back home safe. My prayers paid off. I got a call from my husband at around 3.45 pm on Wednesday. By the grace of God, all are safe.

— LakshmiRamakrishna Varma’s wife Lakshmi expressed her relief and gratitude upon hearing her husband was safe.

Drifting for days, they were pushed hundreds of kilometers towards West Bengal by strong winds. Without mobile phone signal, they could not contact their families. They rationed their provisions, eating only once every two days at one point, enduring heat, rain, and hunger.

Trouble began soon after we ventured into the sea. On August 4, the boat developed a clutch-plate problem. Although we managed to repair it, we soon discovered that the engine gearbox had also failed.

— Ramakrishna VarmaOne of the rescued fishermen, Ramakrishna Varma, described the initial mechanical problems with their boat.

One fisherman's wife expressed immense relief, having lost hope after not hearing from her husband since August 6. Her prayers were answered when she received a call on Wednesday, confirming his safety.

We drifted helplessly for days as strong winds pushed the vessel hundreds of kilometres towards the West Bengal coast. We had no mobile phone signal and therefore could not tell our whereabouts to our families.

— Ramakrishna VarmaRamakrishna Varma explained their situation after the boat's engine failed completely.
About this summary

Originally published by Hindustan Times in English. Translated, summarized, and contextualized automatically by DistantNews, with a note on how the source frames the story. Not individually reviewed before publishing. How this works.

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