Okha: The Indian Coast Guard (ICG) has launched a search and rescue operation in the Arabian Sea off the Gujarat coast after a fishing boat from Gujarat capsized during an encounter with the Pakistan Marine Security Agency (PMSA). The PMSA stated that the boat was engaged in illegal fishing activities within Pakistani waters and attempted to evade capture. The boat eventually collided with the PMSA ship and capsized, resulting in casualties.

After the capsizing, the PMSA ship rescued five out of seven Indian fishermen and four PMSA personnel. However, two remaining Indian fishermen are still missing at sea. Search and rescue operations for the two missing Indian fishermen are in progress. The PMSA has initiated legal proceedings against the Indian fishermen involved.

It is learnt that the Indian fishing boat, known as Al Huseni, capsized off the coast of Gujarat. Operated from the Okha harbor in Devbhumi Dwarka district, the vessel departed on March 13 with a crew of seven and was expected to return on April 4. Owned by Irfan Panjari, a resident of Beyt Dwarka island, and captained by Satar Angariya, the crew included close relatives of the owner. Following the incident, the Indian Coast Guard initiated a search and rescue operation, deploying four ships with helicopters for aerial and surface operations. While some debris has been found, no significant progress has been made as of Friday noon. The MRCC in Mumbai alerted Karachi’s MRCC about the missing fishermen, highlighting ongoing disputes between India and Pakistan over maritime boundaries.

Efforts are underway to locate the missing fishermen. DeshGujarat