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Coast Guard finds trawler adrift in Bay of Bengal

The Coast Guard vessel Sucheta Kripalani towed the crippled trawler, mv Ma Bhabani, back, said Haldia-based Coast Guard Commander R K Wadhwa. But he was unable to confirm the number of fishermen on board.

Earlier searches by aircraft had found fishing boats drifting in the River Banghadhuni. The boats had been tied together with ropes as a precaution by fishermen.

"We have a list of missing fishermen but haven't been able to locate any so far," Commander Wadhwa said. Two Dornier aircraft have been scouring the Digha-Sankarpur area in west Midnapore since Wednesday morning. Two more are searching the Indo-Bangladesh border in the Sunderbans.

Meanwhile, West Bengal Chief Minister Buddhadev Bhattacharjee has directed the district magistrates of Midnapore and South 24-Parganas to redouble their efforts in rescue operations. With 51 fishermen feared dead and 630 others on 63 trawlers missing, Bhattacharjee has told the Coast Guard to continue the search.

According to reports, four trawlers sank during the storm in coastal areas of east Midnapore. While 35 fishermen returned, five are missing.

Of the eight trawlers that sailed from the district prior to the storm, seven are untraceable, Bhattacharjee said. Three other trawlers with 12 fishermen sank in South 24-Parganas district. There are also reports that five trawlers are yet to return.

Fisheries Minister Kiranmoy Nanda was in Digha to take stock of the situation. The West Bengal government is in touch with Orissa for assistance in locating the missing fishermen.

A Coast Guard offshore vessel with a helicopter on board left Visakhapatnam on Wednesday and is expected to join the search by Thursday night.

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