Death toll climbs to seven as two more fishermen rescued after boat capsizes off Ongole

Two more bodies of Tamil Nadu fishermen were recovered, raising the death toll to seven after a boat carrying nine fishermen capsized off Kothapatnam beach near Ongole on Friday because of Cyclone Murasu. The capsizing left two fishermen still missing, and the search continues with an aircraft. Scuba‑diving experts from Visakhapatnam, together with Marine Police officials and personnel from Chennai, inspected the overturned vessel on Friday. Indian Coast Guard officials said the two recovered bodies were found near the villages of Vajjireddypalem and Singarayakonda in Prakasam district and were identified as Kuppan and Aravind after consultation with Tamil Nadu authorities. Earlier, five bodies recovered earlier were kept at the mortuary of RIMS Hospital in Ongole and were identified as Mohan, Murugan, Vijayakanth, Pakkiri Samy and Kuppus. The boat had set out from Chennai and was en route when the cyclone’s strong winds and high waves caused it to overturn near the coast. The aircraft deployed by the Coast Guard flies low over the sea to spot any debris or survivors. Local police and marine authorities continue to coordinate the search for the remaining two fishermen. Authorities have urged fishermen to avoid sailing during the cyclone warning. ## Context The incident adds to a series of fishing‑boat accidents in the Bay of Bengal that occur during severe weather, highlighting the vulnerability of small vessels to cyclonic storms.