Chennai: Nine fishermen from Kasimedu, who ventured into the sea on a mechanised fishing boat on Oct 29, have gone missing after their vessel developed an engine snag off the Andhra Pradesh coast. The Coast Guard has launched a search operation to trace them.According to sources, the fishermen, led by boat driver Surya, left Kasimedu Fishing Harbour on a mechanised boat owned by Selvazhagan on Oct 29.While the boat was sailing near Nizampatnam in Andhra Pradesh, the Meteorological Department issued a cyclone warning. Following the alert, Selvazhagan contacted Surya and advised him to take shelter at the nearest harbour until weather conditions improved.Acting on his instructions, the fishermen anchored their boat at Nizampatnam harbour on Monday. Later that night, they resumed their journey towards Ramayapatnam when the boat developed an engine snag.On Tuesday, the fishermen reportedly informed Venkatesh Rajendran, a resident of Kasimedu, about the mechanical failure. However, subsequent attempts to contact them failed. As there was no further information about the fishermen or their boat, Selvazhagan lodged a complaint at Kasimedu and alerted the Coast Guard.Based on the complaint, Coast Guard personnel launched a search operation to locate the missing boat and rescue the nine fishermen. On Wednesday, their families staged a protest near Kasimedu police station seeking speedy action.You Can Also Check: Gold Rate in Chennai | Silver Rate in Chennai | Bank Holidays in Chennai | Public Holidays in Chennai | Chennai AQI | Weather in Chennai | Petrol Price in Chennai | Diesel Price in Chennai | CNG Price in Chennai | LPG Price in ChennaiStay updated with the latest Chennai news. Download the TOI App.