Andhra fishermen rescued off Odisha’s Puri, Paradip; six still missing off Visakhapatnam: Atchannaidu

Fishermen from Andhra Pradesh stranded in three separate incidents off the Odisha coast have been rescued and are safe, Agriculture and Fisheries Minister Kinjarapu Atchannaidu said on Monday (July 6, 2026). The search continued for six others still missing off the Visakhapatnam coast.

Ten fishermen from Chintapalli village in Vizianagaram district were rescued off the Puri coast on Sunday (July 5, 2026). Their boat, IND-AP-V5-MM-872, had set out from the Kakinada Fishing Harbour and, the Minister said, suffered engine failure at sea before drifting towards the Puri coast.

“We coordinated with the Odisha Marine Police and fisheries officials to speed up the rescue. The Odisha Marine Police responded promptly, and with the help of local fishing vessels, we rescued all 10 crew members, including the boat owner, Danayya,” Mr. Atchannaidu said. He thanked the Odisha government, the Marine Police and Fisheries Department officials for their response, and said arrangements were being made to bring the fishermen home.

In a separate case, all the fishermen stranded off the Paradip coast in Odisha have reached Paradip Harbour and will arrive in Visakhapatnam on Tuesday (July 7, 2026) the Minister said. Their boat had developed engine trouble and drifted into deeper waters in bad weather.

“All the stranded fishermen are safe and have reached Paradip Harbour. They are scheduled to arrive in Visakhapatnam on Tuesday,” Mr. Atchannaidu said in a press release. Medical checks at Paradip Harbour confirmed all were in good health, he said. Personnel from the Ichchapuram police have reached the harbour on behalf of the State government and are overseeing arrangements for the fishermen.

“The safety of the fishermen is the government’s highest priority. We have been coordinating with the officials concerned at every stage and have taken all necessary measures for their well-being. It is a matter of great relief that all of them are safe,” Mr. Atchannaidu said. He said the State government would give the fishermen all necessary help after they reached Visakhapatnam.

The search off Visakhapatnam is for a third boat. Kari Chinna, one of seven fishermen who went missing after setting out from the Visakhapatnam coast on July 1, was brought to INS Dega in Visakhapatnam on Monday by rescue personnel, flown in on an Indian Navy helicopter. Medical checks found him in good health. The search continued for the remaining six.

The East Coast Mechanised Fishing Boat Owners Association asked all boats at sea to take extreme care, monsoon winds and rough seas continuing along the coast.

(With inputs from PTI)