Rescue team recovers bodies of five fishermen near Bangladesh

The bodies of five fishermen, who were missing since Saturday, have been recovered from the shores of Bay of Bengal near Bangladesh.

The rescue team, consisting of Indian Coast Guard personnel, however, managed to identify only one amongst them.

However, there is yet no trace of several other fishermen, who had gone into the Bay of Bengal. Police said that the rescue team’s efforts were thwarted due to the poor weather.

The South 24 Parganas district administration informed that the fishermen had gone for fishing when there was a storm in the sea.

Many boats which had ventured into the sea capsized and several fishermen fell overboard. The rescue team has informed the district administration that many people have gone missing.

“The Indian Coast Guard has sent the rescue team and they are trying their best to recover those fishermen,” said a police officer.

“We have contacted their families and assured them of a speedy rescue operation. We hope they will be recovered soon,” the officer added.

Trawlers carrying fishermen going missing in the Bay of Bengal has almost become a regular incident. 

In spite of weather alerts being regularly issued, fishermen often ignore them and venture into the sea. 

“Sometimes fishermen avoided the weather alert. In this case, I think those five fishermen evaded the alert and had gone,” the officer added.

The Fishermen’s Welfare Association is also in connection with the police and coast guard. “All our efforts went in vain because of inclement weather and storm,” said a member of the association.

The district administration revealed that there are eight trawlers which are still missing. Meanwhile, five trawlers have been spotted by the rescue team of the Coast Guard. Those trawlers will be brought to the shore as the Coast Guard believes that there may be some bodies confined in it.

Families of the deceased fishermen agitated in front of the district administration saying that they had not been informed about the inclement weather.