BHUBANESWAR: The Indian Coast Guard (ICG) and Odisha Marine Police have rescued 35 Bangladeshi fishermen but another 45 are still untraceable after four boats reportedly sank off Odisha coast due to Cyclone Sitrang.
Sources said the ICG rescued 20 fishermen on Tuesday and State Marine Police moved 15 others to safety off Bhadrak coast a day later. According to official sources, about 80 fishermen left from Bangladesh in four boats - Jasmine, Amma Jaan, Tony and Nishi Akhtar on October 21. The next day, the boats are believed to have capsized in the Bay of Bengal under the influence of the system which intensified into a cyclone a day later.
The ICG scrambled its Dornier aircraft on Tuesday afternoon to ascertain whether anyone was in distress due to the tropical storm. The aircraft launched a search operation to trace if any fishermen, boat or merchant vessel was in distress. The maritime security agency spotted 20 fishermen and dropped a raft to save them. A merchant ship en route from Malaysia to Kolkata was diverted to render assistance to the rescued fishermen.
As per the survivors, they remained afloat for about five days by clinging on to the debris of their boats near India-Bangladesh International Maritime Boundary Line. The Marine police officers said initial investigation suggests 20 fishermen were onboard each boat.
Ten fishermen were rescued from Nishi Akhtar, three from Tony and two from Amma Jaan. The remaining fishermen of the three boats and all 20 onboard Jasmine are still missing, said the officers. Sources said the situation remains grim and the boats are patrolling to trace if there are any more survivors.
“We have requested the fishermen community to inform us if they spot any survivors. Bangladeshi authorities have been informed about the rescued fishermen and they will be handed over,” said Additional DG Sudhanshu Sarangi, who also is the State Maritime Security Coordinator.
Sarangi said he is contact with National Maritime Security Coordinator Vice Admiral Ashok Kumar and ICG is coordinating with the Bangladeshi authorities. ICG ship Varad is continuing the search operation in the region.