The Bay of Bengal has claimed yet another life. Rescue teams recovered the body of one more fisherman from the wreckage of the ill-fated ‘Joy Maa Kali’ trawler on July 14, taking the death toll in the devastating sea tragedy to 10.
Six fishermen remain missing as a large-scale search operation continues along the West Bengal coast.
The 16 fishermen had set sail from Shankarapur fish landing centre in Purba Medinipur district on July 2, braving the deep sea in pursuit of valuable Hilsa fish. Their journey turned fatal on the night of July 5 when a powerful sea storm struck roughly 35 km from Bakkhali. The trawler lost balance, capsized, and all communication was lost.
Strong tides later pushed the damaged vessel onto the rocks at Rakteshwar Char. From there, it was towed to shore. Nine bodies had already been recovered earlier and sent to Kakdwip Super Hospital in South 24 Parganas district for post-mortem on July 13. The 10th body, that of an unidentified fisherman, was found inside the broken trawler on July 14.
To help identify the deceased, authorities have collected blood samples from the families of the missing and dead fishermen for DNA testing. Local fishermen from Kakdwip and Namkhana, along with the Indian Coast Guard, police and forest department personnel, are working round the clock to locate the remaining six crew members.
What began as a routine fishing trip in search of a livelihood has left families shattered and an entire community in mourning.
As the search stretches into another day, hope and anxiety continue to battle in the hearts of those waiting on the shore.
