YS Jagan Demands ₹1 Crore Compensation After Six Die in Vizag Boat Tragedy

The recent Visakhapatnam fishing boat tragedy , which claimed the lives of six fishermen, has triggered a political confrontation in Andhra Pradesh, with YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) president and former Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy accused the N. Chandrababu Naidu-led coalition government of administrative failure and delayed rescue operations. During a visit to the victims' families on Tuesday, Jagan demanded accountability from the state government, sought enhanced compensation for the bereaved families, and announced financial assistance from his party.

Jagan visited Jabbar Thota in Visakhapatnam, where he met the families of the deceased fishermen and the lone survivor, Kari Chinna , who was rescued after the accident. Expressing his condolences, he assured the affected families of continued support before launching a scathing attack on the government's handling of the incident.

Addressing the media, Jagan alleged that the tragedy was aggravated by delayed emergency response , claiming the fishermen had repeatedly sent distress messages after running into trouble at sea but received no immediate assistance. He said officials took several hours to act despite being alerted, describing the incident as a serious failure of governance and disaster management.

The former Chief Minister questioned why rescue efforts were delayed when the accident reportedly occurred around 10 nautical miles off the Visakhapatnam coast , close to Gangavaram Port and within the operational reach of the Indian Coast Guard , the Eastern Naval Command , and the district administration. He argued that the presence of multiple maritime agencies in one of India's key naval hubs should have ensured a much faster rescue response.

Jagan further alleged that the coalition government displayed little concern for the victims, claiming that no minister or senior government representative had visited the bereaved families even after the incident. Holding the government responsible for the deaths, he urged Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu to apologise to the families and provide ₹1 crore as compensation to each of the six families.

He also recalled that during the YSRCP government, the accident insurance cover for fishermen was increased from ₹5 lakh to ₹10 lakh , saying the measure reflected his administration's commitment to the welfare of coastal communities. Jagan added that if the current government failed to provide adequate support, a future YSRCP government would stand firmly with the victims.

As immediate relief, Jagan announced ₹49 lakh in financial assistance from the YSR Congress Party , with ₹7 lakh each to the families of the six deceased fishermen and survivor Kari Chinna . Highlighting his government's record, he said the previous administration had secured the release of Andhra fishermen detained in Pakistan and Bangladesh , besides establishing 10 fishing harbours and fish landing centres to strengthen the fisheries sector and improve livelihoods.