Massive Fire Breaks Out At Visakhapatnam Fishing Harbour; 40 Boats Gutted In Blaze

Visakhapatnam: A massive fire broke out at the Visakhapatnam fishing harbour on the intervening night of Sunday and Monday in which nearly 40 fibre-mechanised boats were reduced to ashes, said police, adding that no casualties or injuries were reported in the incident. Firefighters were alerted by locals, who promptly arrived at the scene to extinguish the fire.

The fire, which started with one boat, quickly spread to others in the vicinity, said the officials. Local fishermen suspect foul play, alleging that unknown individuals may have intentionally set the boats on fire. The police have also registered a case and launched an investigation into the incident.

#WATCH | Andhra Pradesh: A massive fire broke out in Visakhapatnam fishing harbour. The fire that started with the first boat eventually spread to 40 boats. Several fire tenders reached the spot to control the fire. Police have registered a case and are investigating the matter.… pic.twitter.com/1ZYgiWInOz — ANI (@ANI) November 20, 2023

Deputy Commissioner of Police, Visakhapatnam, Anand Reddy, said, "The fire broke out on a boat at Vishakhapatnam fishing harbour and then spread to nearly 35 fiber-mechanized boats at midnight. The police and fire teams responded immediately. The fire was successfully brought under control. The cause of the fire is yet to be ascertained. No casualties or injuries were reported in the incident. An FIR has been filed and an investigation is underway."

News agency ANI cited ADGP Law and Order Ravi Shankar as saying, "...One of the ships caught fire where some boys were there late night probably they were all partying, luckily the other boatsmen came and de-anchored that ship and let it off into the sea. The ship had full tanker diesel and gas cylinders so the fire had a multiplier effect and it drifted on to the other ships which were parked at the jetty...Towards the end, the Navy ship Sahara also came and assisted us and because of them we had got the fire under control. There is no loss of life at the outset. Only about 25-30 ships got gutted..."

Visuals from the spot shared on social media showed firefighters trying to douse the flames.