India News | 9 Bodies Recovered from Sunken Fishing Trawler in Bay of Bengal, 6 Fishermen Still Missing
Get latest articles and stories on India at LatestLY. The missing trawler, identified as 'FB Joy Maa Kali', was found near Rakteshwar Char in South 24 Parganas district by a joint team of police, the Forest Department and the Indian Coast Guard. After the trawler was brought ashore at Sitarampur in Gobardhanpur, rescue teams recovered nine bodies from inside the vessel.
Kolkata (West Bengal) [India], July 13 (ANI): The bodies of nine fishermen were recovered on Monday from a sunken fishing trawler in the Bay of Bengal, while six others remain missing, officials said on Monday.
The missing trawler, identified as 'FB Joy Maa Kali', was found near Rakteshwar Char in South 24 Parganas district by a joint team of police, the Forest Department and the Indian Coast Guard. After the trawler was brought ashore in Gobardhanpur, rescue teams recovered nine bodies from inside the vessel.
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The trawler had left Shankarpur Fishing Harbour in Purba Medinipur on June 2 with 15 fishermen onboard for deep-sea fishing but went missing amid adverse weather conditions.
Kakdwip Fishermen Welfare Association Secretary Bijan Maiti, speaking to ANI, said the trawler lost contact with others at sea while returning towards the coast following a weather warning.
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"A trawler named 'Joy Maa Kali' with 15 fishermen on board left from Shankarpur fishing port in East Medinipur district to go fishing. A weather warning was in effect from the 2nd to the 7th. Accordingly, they were returning towards the coast on the 2nd," Maiti said.
"The trawlers usually stay together, but it was noticed that the 'Joy Maa Kali' had become separated from the others. For some reason, possibly due to mechanical failure, communication could not be established with them via wireless. From that point on, the trawler and its crew were missing," he added.
Maiti said the trawler was later located near Rakteshwari Char and brought back to shore.
"After the water was pumped out of the trawler, nine dead bodies were found inside. Those bodies were brought to the Kakdwip hospital morgue for post-mortem, and their family members have also arrived. Once identification is complete, they will be handed over to their families," he said.
The search operation for the six missing fishermen has resumed, with teams from the police, Forest Department and fishermen's association continuing efforts to trace them.
The administration has expressed fears that the death toll may rise further. The entire incident has created an atmosphere of panic and mourning in the area.
Ramanagar Assembly constituency MLA Chandrasekhar Mandal also visited the spot and met the families of the missing fishermen. (ANI)
(The above story is verified and authored by ANI staff, ANI is South Asia's leading multimedia news agency with over 100 bureaus in India, South Asia and across the globe. ANI brings the latest news on Politics and Current Affairs in India & around the World, Sports, Health, Fitness, Entertainment, & News. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)