Fire engulfs fishing boat near Vizag, crew safe

The boat owned by Bade Suryanarayana (AM 294) ventured into sea from Visakhapatnam fishing harbor on Friday morning. The boat was in sea fishing the entire Saturday and on Sunday morning when the crew cast the net for fresh harvesting, the boat went up in flames. The crew members tried to douse the fire which emanated from the engine room but in vain. All the seven members plunged into the sea and began swimming towards the shore. Fortunately they encountered another boat owned by Srinivasa Rao and immediately boarded. The crew reached the fishing harbor on Sunday morning.

Visakhapatnam South MLA Vamsi Krishna spoke to fisheries officials and the police. Mechanized Boat Owners Welfare Association general secretary Surapathi Narsinga Rao told reporters that the Association would seek compensation from the State government as the boat was completely destroyed along with the two-day catch and nets. The boat costs around Rs 35 lakh and it was not insured.

Caption: A mechanized ship seen in flames off Pudimadaka fishing village off Visakhapatnam on Sunday morning.