The Kasimedu fishermen tragedy has deepened after five bodies from a nine-member crew were washed ashore along Andhra Pradesh’s coast, while search operations continue for the four fishermen still missing after their boat capsized at sea. The incident has triggered grief and protests in Chennai’s fishing hamlets, with relatives accusing authorities of responding too slowly to distress information.
The fishermen left Kasimedu fishing harbour on October 29, while cyclone Murasu was developing over the Bay of Bengal. Following a weather warning issued by the Tamil Nadu fisheries department, they took shelter at Nizampatnam fishing harbour in Andhra Pradesh. They later left for Ramayapatnam on the night of November 2.
According to the report, the boat’s engine failed while it was at sea. At about 3am on November 3, another fishing boat relayed information through wireless communication about the engine failure and the vessel’s location. No further contact was established with the missing boat after that communication.
The Indian Coast Guard later located the vessel capsized about five kilometres off the Kothapatnam coast in Andhra Pradesh’s Prakasam district. Search operations were launched with fishing boats, Coast Guard vessels and assistance from Andhra Pradesh authorities. Tamil Nadu fisheries department officials also travelled to Nellore with 13 relatives of the missing fishermen to help identify the bodies.
The identities of three victims—S Mohan, 47, A Murugan, 48, and C Vijayakanth, 44—have been established, Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay said while condoling the deaths. Two other bodies remained unidentified because they were badly disfigured. The state government announced a solatium of Rs 7 lakh for each victim’s family.
The crew included boat driver Pakkirisami, also known as Surya, 49. The government booked the boat owner, Selvazhagan, following a complaint that he had compelled the nine-member crew to venture into the sea. The Madras high court deferred his arrest until November 11. The report does not establish the final cause of the capsizing or whether any safety protocol was breached.
The incident has exposed the risks faced by Chennai’s coastal fishing communities when mechanical failures occur during severe weather and distress communication does not lead to an immediate rescue. The sequence also highlights the dependence of search operations on coordination between fishing boats, state fisheries departments, the Coast Guard and authorities across state borders.
Relatives of the missing fishermen held a road blockade outside the Kasimedu fishing harbour police station, alleging that authorities failed to respond promptly. Finance minister Marie Wilson, who represents the R K Nagar assembly constituency that includes Kasimedu, visited the families and promised action. The search for the remaining missing fishermen was continuing, while officials worked to identify the two unrecovered victims whose bodies had been found.
