Kolkata: As many as 550 fishermen in 33
trawlers went missing in the Bay of Bengal on Friday in rough
weather due to heavy rains triggered by a depression,
prompting a search by a Coastguard ship and a Dornier
aircraft.
The trawlers had set sail from Kakdwip and adjacent areas
in South 24-Parganas district yesterday and were reported
missing in heavy rains following the depression lying 80 km
east of Kolkata, District Magistrate N S Nigam said over
phone.
A Coastguard ship and a Dornier aircraft were despatched
to trace the trawlers but the search was being "hindered by
low-level high speed air circulation and low clouds", Defence
sources said.
Nigam said he had earlier alerted the Coastguard and that
the Navy has been approached to locate the missing fishermen.
He said the trawlers could have drifted towards
Bangladesh. The West Bengal administration has contacted the
Bangladesh deputy high commissioner here to help in the rescue
operations, he said.
The naval officer-in-charge of West Bengal was also
assisting in the search operation, the sources said.
PTI
First Published: Friday, June 17, 2011, 16:55