India conducts search near Lanka for missing fishermen

The Indian Coast Guard (ICG) has launched a massive search around Tamil Nadu and near Sri Lanka for six fishermen who have been missing since last week.

Machilipatnam Revenue Division Officer P. Saibaba told The Hindu that the ICG authorities had launched a massive search operation towards the Tamil Nadu coast and adjoining Sri Lanka coast.

?Since there is no availability of helicopter at its Nellore and Kakinada battalions, the ICG has taken help from the Tamil Nadu-based Coast Guard battalions and deployed a helicopter on Monday morning to locate the missing fishermen?, Saibaba said.

A boat deployed by the ICG on Sunday could not trace the location of the fishermen during their search conducted between Kakinada and Nellore coasts.

The fishermen who went missing from Gilakaladindi harbor last?Wednesday had been identified as T. Nagaraju and S. Nagoor of Gilakaladindi and K. Venkateswarulu, K. Chittibabu and others belonging to Nellore district.