NEWSLINKS US EDITION SOUTH ASIA COLUMNISTS DIARY SPECIALS INTERVIEWS CAPITAL BUZZ REDIFF POLL DEAR REDIFF THE STATES ELECTIONS ARCHIVES US ARCHIVES SEARCH REDIFF
M Chhaya in Kolkata
Even as Coast Guard vessels began winding up their search for missing fishermen in the Bay of Bengal, the West Bengal government Thursday confirmed the death of 39 fishermen in Tuesday's cyclone.
Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharya said 111 fishermen were still missing.
Bhattacharya told reporters that five trawlers from Midnapore (East) district capsized with 13 fishermen, while an identical number of fishing boats from South 24 Pargana district sank with 26 on board.
Senior government officials were camping at Digha in Midnapore (East) district to coordinate search operations as Coast Guard vessels towed in trawlers that had strayed away. A special control room was opened at Kakdwip in South 24 Pargana district.
The state government had asked the Orissa government also to look for the missing fishermen in case they strayed southwards.
State Fisheries Minister Kiranmoy Nanda blamed the failure of the weather office to issue timely warnings for the deaths.
The cyclone and rains damaged crops in at least six districts. Agriculture Minister Kamal Guha said crops worth Rs 53 crore were damaged in east and eest Midnapore, north and south 24-Parganas, Howrah and Hooghly districts.
ALSO SEE: Coast Guard finds trawler adrift in Bay of Bengal
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