Vizag fishing harbour fire: YS Jagan announces 80 per cent compensation to boats gutted in mishap

AMARAVATI: Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy has asked the officials to pay 80 percent compensation to the boats in the fire mishap at Visakhapatnam fishing harbour.

A massive fire broke out and gutted around 36 fishing boats on Sunday night. The fire broke out in a town jetty area where fishing boats were anchored. Visakhapatnam Police Commissioner Ravi Shankar, who visited the site, said that a multidisciplinary probe would be conducted to get to the bottom of the incident.

When the officials told him that 36 boats were totally destroyed and nine boats were partially damaged in the mishap, the Chief Minister observed that it was a great loss to the fishermen. “Officials should show humanity and pay compensation up to 80 percent of the value so that the victims will be able to withstand the loss and restart their activity with confidence. The Government should stand by the fishermen in such difficult circumstances,” YS Jagan said.

The officials informed the Chief Minister that the loss caused by the fire mishap was estimated to be around Rs 12 crore, according to a preliminary assessment and a final report was being prepared. They also told him that Fisheries Minister Dr S Appala Raju along with the district collector A Mallikharjuna visited the accident site and assured the victim families of Government support.