CM Vijay announces aid for families of fishermen whose bodies were found on Andhra Pradesh coast

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay made a significant announcement on Thursday (November 5, 2026). He has declared a solatium of ₹7 lakh for the families of three Chennai fishermen whose bodies were recovered from the coast of Andhra Pradesh. The Chief Minister has ordered that ₹2 lakh from this assistance amount be paid with immediate effect.

Providing further details on the incident, the Chief Minister stated that all arrangements should be made to bring the bodies of the deceased to Tamil Nadu at the government's expense and subsequently hand them over to their families. He expressed deep grief over this tragic incident. These fishermen had gone missing after the engine of their mechanized fishing boat failed in the middle of the sea, and their bodies were later found on the Andhra Pradesh coast.

According to a report by The Hindu, a total of 9 fishermen had set out to sea for fishing in a mechanized boat from the Chennai Fishing Harbour on October 29. These nine fishermen included K. Pakirisamy alias Surya (49), M. Kuppan (48), S. Mohan (47), K. Rajesh (52), A. Murugan (48), L. Kuppusamy (58), C. Vijayakanth (44), A. Arvind (40), and M. Narayanan (57).

Due to a weather warning issued by the Tamil Nadu Fisheries and Fisherman Welfare Department, these fishermen had taken shelter at the Nizampatnam Fishing Harbour in Andhra Pradesh. Subsequently, on the night of November 2, these fishermen proceeded towards Ramayapatnam Port. However, the engine of their boat failed in the early hours of November 3. They informed other fishermen in another mechanized boat about this incident via wireless.

Thereafter, there was no further contact from the missing boat, and its location remained unknown. In this situation, the Fisheries and Fisherman Welfare Department was instructed to conduct a search operation. This search involved the cooperation of boats from the Chennai Fishing Harbour, Andhra Pradesh fishing boats, Indian Coast Guard vessels, Andhra Pradesh officials, and the families of the missing fishermen.

Chief Minister Vijay stated that the bodies of S. Mohan, A. Murugan, and C. Vijayakanth were found and identified on the Kothapatnam coast of Prakasam district, Andhra Pradesh. Additionally, two other bodies have been found, and the Chief Minister has instructed officials to expedite the identification process. Furthermore, orders have been given to intensify the search for the remaining missing fishermen.