Ahmedabad: At least eight fishermen have gone missing in Gujarat, forcing authorities to initiate a search and rescue operation near Veraval in Saurashtra. Their boats anchored at a fishing harbour near the seashore were wrecked and capsized overnight due to stormy weather and rain in Gujarat, which is experiencing unseasonal rainfall in coastal areas.

The Gujarat government, in collaboration with other agencies, has initiated a rescue mission to locate the fishermen, which includes the use of a Coast Guard helicopter and boats. Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel has urged officials to make every effort to locate those who have gone missing. Pankaj Kumar, the State Chief Secretary, is keeping an eye on the Coast Guard's rescue effort.

Due to the stormy weather that turned the water conditions extremely rough with huge waves along the shore, at least 10 boats were completely wrecked and 40 others that were anchored at the coast were partially damaged, according to locals. "The sea conditions in Navabandar village were harsh after midnight due to heavy gusts and sea waves." Initially, 12 people were untraceable, but four of them were able to swim back to shore, while the remaining eight remain unaccounted for. "We've launched a rescue operation with the assistance of a Coast Guard helicopter," a local official told reporters from Una.

Gujarat has been experiencing a change in weather since Wednesday, with rain falling in several sections of the state, particularly the coastal areas of South Gujarat and Saurashtra, which is rare for December.

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