15 fishermen dead, 2 missing after boats capsize off Gujarat

At least 15 fishermen have died and two are missing after their boats capsized in choppy sea off Devbhumi Dwarka and Porbandar coasts in Gujarat over the weekend, officials said on Tuesday.

Dwarka Police said six boats and 24 fishermen from Rupen port had left for fishing last Friday, despite the two-month ban on fishing.

Their boats were believed to have capsized during the weekend and the bodies started washing ashore at different locations on Monday. Fourteen fishermen managed to swim through and reached different shores near Dwarka.

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“The eighth body was found at Dwarka’s Rupen port late on Monday night,” said PI Vasava, an inspector with Dwarka police station. “The Coast Guard and the state marine police teams have been looking for the two missing fishermen,” he added.

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“Bodies of seven fishermen have been found off the Porbandar coast and 88 have been rescued since Saturday,” Porbandar’s superintendent of police Prathvirajsinh Gohil said.

Police said the fishermen ventured into the sea illegally and there has been no official figure on how many left to fish. Ignoring warnings by the authorities, most of the boats left around last weekend.

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The state meteorological department had issued warnings for fishermen asking them not to venture into the sea over the weekend in the wake of a forecast of heavy and to very heavy rain.

Besides, the state administration does not allow fishing between mid-June and August, given the expected rough sea conditions during this monsoon period.