Nine fishermen were found dead after authorities recovered a missing trawler off the West Bengal coast.
The vessel, which had gone missing earlier this month, carried 15 fishermen when it departed from Shankarpur Fish Landing Centre on July 2 for hilsa fishing.
Communication with the crew was maintained until July 4, after which all contact was lost. Following an extensive search, the trawler was traced near Rakhtachar Island, about 16 kilometres from Bakkhali, on Sunday. A joint team comprising Gobardhanpur police, the Forest Department, and the Indian Coast Guard brought the vessel to Sitarampur in Gobardhanpur for a detailed search.
During the overnight operation, rescue teams recovered nine bodies, which were sent to Kakdwip Sub-Divisional Hospital for post-mortem examination. Search efforts continue across different parts of the sea to locate the remaining six fishermen.
Among those still missing are three brothers from Uluda village in Odisha’s Balasore district — Rabindra Majhi, Jagannath Majhi, and Jayaram Majhi. Their family, along with others, remains devastated as hopes for survival diminish.
The India Meteorological Department had issued warnings of heavy rain and stormy weather in the Bay of Bengal during the period due to a low-pressure system. It remains unclear whether the crew received the alert before communication was lost.
