Cyclone Asani: Narrow escape for 60 fishermen as boats ferrying them capsize in mid-sea

Bhubaneswar: Around sixty fishermen of Ganjam district have a providential escape as they managed to swim to shore after their boats capsized in the strong waves of the sea due to cyclonic storm ''Asani''.

Official sources on Tuesday said the fishermen had gone into the deep sea in six mechanised fishing boats to catch fish before a cyclonic storm Asani was formed over the Bay of Bengal.

The fishermen who hail from Sonaryapalli, Golabandha and Bada Aryapalli areas were returning to the shore on receipt of the cyclone alert when the incident occurred.

Eleven fishermen were rescued by the Coast Guard on Monday from their boat which was damaged in the mid-sea near Sonapur off Ganjam coast.

On being informed about the incident from the district authority the coast guard deployed its most advanced light helicopter MK III which lifted the stranded fishermen from the boat and flew them to safety. (UNI)