A mechanized fishing boat caught fire a few miles from the Visakhapatnam coast at around noon of 15 September 2024. The blaze, which is suspected to have been caused by an electrical short circuit, completely destroyed the vessel, resulting in an estimated loss of Rs 40 lakh, according to the fishermen.
The five fishermen aboard the boat were V Gurumurthy, R Narsimhulu, G Ramu, U Sattayya, and S Appannap. When the boat caught fire, they jumped into the sea as the flames spread rapidly from the engine to the rest of the boat. They managed to make their escape without any serious injuries, as they were soon rescued by another fishing boat, INDAPV5MM 894, that was nearby.
The leaders of fishermen associations have called on the Andhra Pradesh government to provide compensation to the owner of the destroyed boat.
G Vijaya, the in-charge Joint Director of the A AP Fisheries Department, arrived at the fishing harbor to investigate the incident. He assured that the matter would be reported to the government for further action. He also mentioned that Visakhapatnam MP M Sribharat had pledged to raise the issue of compensation for those affected by the fire on the fishing boat with the government.
On the other hand, Fisheries Minister K Atchannaidu has inquired about the boat accident and the condition of the fishermen. The Visakhapatnam Fisheries Department informed the Minister that the five fishermen are safe. In turn, the Minister directed the officials to educate the fishermen on the precautions to be taken to avoid accidents.
The fire accident follows another minor fire that erupted in Visakha Container Terminal on Beach Road the previous day (14 September). The fire occured when a container from China was being loaded to depart to Kolkata. Firefighters immediately arrived at the scene, and the fire was controlled quickly. The shooting for ‘Coolie’, a Rajinikanth-starring movie was also going on nearby.
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