Fisherman rescued, five bodies found in deep sea

Kakdwip (WB), August 14

A fisherman was rescued while the bodies of five others were found floating in the Bay of Bengal in the early hours today.

The fishermen were found in the high seas, about 130 km off Jambudwip in the Sundarbans in West Bengal, and are among the 30 who went missing after going out in four trawlers, West Bengal Fishermen Association chairman Joykrishna Halder and secretary Bijon Maiti said.

The rescued fisherman was found floating in a life jacket, they said, adding the five bodies were brought to the hospital here by members of the Association, which had launched an independent search using ten trawlers.

The district authorities have been informed and search is on for the other missing fishermen, they said.

The fishermen had ventured out to catch Hilsa in the sea on August one and had gone missing since the heavy rains and rough seas on August eight.

The search for the missing fishermen is being conducted by Coast Guard as well. It has already rescued over 250 fishermen in 18 fishing trawlers in one of the biggest search and rescue operations in the Bay of Bengal.

“We have been saying that four more trawlers with 30 fishermen are still missing. Had the search been conducted by us and Coast Guard together we could have provided timely help,” Halder and Maiti said.  — PTI