6 Andhra fishermen presumed dead after Visakhapatnam boat capsize
Synopsis
Six fishermen from Andhra Pradesh are now presumed dead after the Coast Guard and Navy called off a four-day search following a boat capsize off Visakhapatnam. The sole survivor, rescued after 18 hours at sea by a Panama-flagged merchant vessel, provided the account that led authorities to abandon hope — while grieving families received ₹10 lakh each in state compensation.
Key Takeaways
Six fishermen from Vizianagaram and Visakhapatnam districts are presumed dead after their boat capsized on 5 July off the Visakhapatnam coast.
The Indian Navy and Coast Guard deployed two ships and two helicopters over four days before calling off the search on 8 July .
Sole survivor Kari Chinna , the boat owner, was rescued by the MV Universe Wealthy after spending about 18 hours in the sea; he is in stable condition at KIMS ICON Hospital .
State Minister Kollu Ravindra confirmed the fishermen are presumed dead after a search exceeding 72 hours yielded no trace.
The Andhra Pradesh government announced ₹10 lakh each in ex gratia — ₹5 lakh from the Fisheries Department and ₹5 lakh from the Chief Minister's Relief Fund — for the six families.
Six fishermen from Andhra Pradesh have been officially presumed dead after a four-day search-and-rescue operation off the coast of Visakhapatnam was called off on Tuesday, 8 July, following the capsizing of their boat on 5 July. The Indian Navy and Coast Guard deployed two ships and two helicopters in the operation, but all efforts proved unsuccessful.
How the Tragedy Unfolded
A group of seven fishermen from Vizianagaram and Visakhapatnam districts had set out from Visakhapatnam Fishing Harbour on 1 July for a routine fishing trip. As rough sea conditions developed due to a low-pressure area in the Bay of Bengal, their families reached them by mobile phone and urged them to return. The fishermen reportedly told their families they would be back by the afternoon of 4 July.
When they failed to return and their phones went switched off, anxious families alerted the Coast Guard and Marine Police. The boat is believed to have capsized on Saturday at 3:30 pm due to mechanical failure while the crew was heading back to shore.
The Sole Survivor
Kari Chinna, the owner of the missing fishing vessel, was the only survivor. He was rescued by the crew of the Panama-flagged merchant vessel 'MV Universe Wealthy' on Sunday, approximately 18 hours after the capsize, after swimming to stay afloat. The Indian Navy subsequently airlifted him from the vessel to INS Dega on Monday evening. He was later admitted to KIMS ICON Hospital, where doctors confirmed he is in stable condition. His account of the capsize provided the basis for authorities presuming the remaining six fishermen dead.
Search Called Off, Ex Gratia Announced
State Minister Kollu Ravindra confirmed the decision to call off the search after visiting the families of the missing fishermen. 'Since no trace of the missing fishermen was found even after extensive search for more than 72 hours, they are presumed dead,' he stated. The state government announced financial assistance of ₹10 lakh each for the families of the six fishermen — comprising ₹5 lakh from the Fisheries Department and ₹5 lakh from the Chief Minister's Relief Fund.
Cheques were handed over by Minister Kollu Ravindra, along with MLAs Vamsi Krishna Yadav and Lokam Madhavi, Visakhapatnam District Collector Abhijit Kishore, and Fisheries Commissioner Rama Shankar Naik.
Official Response and Grief
Minister for Agriculture and Fisheries Kinjarapu Atchannaidu acknowledged the suffering of the bereaved families, describing their 'agony, anxiety, and uncertainty' as deeply distressing. A pall of grief has descended over the fishing communities of Vizianagaram and Visakhapatnam, where families had held out hope until the search was formally abandoned. This incident underscores the recurring danger faced by small-boat fishermen along the Andhra coast when low-pressure systems develop over the Bay of Bengal — a pattern that has claimed lives in previous seasons as well.
Authorities have not yet indicated whether a formal inquiry into the boat's mechanical failure will be conducted.
Point of View
Where the gap between a Coast Guard alert and a family's last phone call can mean the difference between life and death. The ₹10 lakh ex gratia, while immediate, raises the deeper question of whether the state's early-warning infrastructure for fishing vessels is adequate. Mechanical failure on a vessel that had already been alerted to rough conditions points to a gap in distress-signalling equipment on small fishing boats — a systemic issue that compensation cheques do not address.
NationPress
8 Jul 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What happened to the six fishermen off Visakhapatnam?
Six fishermen from Vizianagaram and Visakhapatnam districts went missing after their boat capsized on 5 July off the Visakhapatnam coast due to mechanical failure amid rough seas. A four-day search by the Indian Navy and Coast Guard was called off on 8 July with no trace found, and the fishermen are now officially presumed dead.
Who was the sole survivor and how was he rescued?
Kari Chinna, the owner of the missing fishing boat, was the only survivor. He spent approximately 18 hours swimming in the sea before being rescued by the crew of the Panama-flagged merchant vessel 'MV Universe Wealthy' on Sunday morning. The Indian Navy later airlifted him to INS Dega, and he is currently admitted to KIMS ICON Hospital in stable condition.
Why was the search operation called off?
Authorities called off the search on Tuesday, 8 July, after more than 72 hours of intensive operations involving two Coast Guard ships and two helicopters failed to locate any of the six missing fishermen. State Minister Kollu Ravindra announced the decision after visiting the families, citing the exhaustive but unsuccessful effort.
What compensation will the families of the missing fishermen receive?
The Andhra Pradesh government announced ₹10 lakh each for the families of the six fishermen — comprising ₹5 lakh from the Fisheries Department and ₹5 lakh from the Chief Minister's Relief Fund. Cheques were handed over by Minister Kollu Ravindra along with district officials and MLAs.
What caused the boat to capsize?
The boat reportedly developed a mechanical failure while returning to shore on 5 July, during rough sea conditions triggered by a low-pressure area over the Bay of Bengal. According to survivor Kari Chinna, the vessel capsized at around 3:30 pm on Saturday.
