Amreli, Gujarat: Ten fishermen were rescued while eight others remain missing after two fishing boats capsized in the Arabian Sea off the coast of Amreli district on Tuesday evening due to rough weather conditions, officials confirmed.

According to Sub-Divisional Magistrate (SDM) of Rajula, Mehul Barasara, a joint search and rescue operation involving local fishermen and the Coast Guard has been launched to trace the missing individuals.

The incident occurred around 6 pm, approximately 19 nautical miles from the coast of Jafrabad town in Amreli. “The boats, carrying nine fishermen each, capsized due to rough weather. While 10 of them were immediately rescued by other fishing boats sailing nearby, eight from both vessels went missing,” said the SDM.

Owing to the rough sea, the operation is currently being carried out using boats, rather than deploying Coast Guard helicopters, Barasara added.

Efforts are ongoing to locate the missing fishermen.