Baleshwar: Fifteen fishermen, including three brothers from Odisha’s Baleshwar district, are feared missing after a fishing trawler disappeared in rough seas off the West Bengal coast.
The trawler, ‘Maa Kali,’ carrying 15 fishermen, had left the Shankarpur Fishing Harbour in West Bengal on July 2. The trawler owner and family members remained in contact with the fishermen till July 4. However, all communication was lost after that, and there has been no contact with the trawler since then.
Although the trawler is equipped with a GPS system, its location has not been traced.
The vessel reportedly went missing after encountering strong waves triggered by a low-pressure system over the Bay of Bengal.
The three missing fishermen from Baleshwar are from Uluda village under Bhograi block. They have been identified as Rabindra Majhi, Jagannath Majhi and Jayaram Majhi. The remaining 12 fishermen are from West Bengal.
Digha Fishermen and Fish Traders Association informed the Digha and Mandarmani marine police stations about the incident. Following the alert, search operations were launched, and a helicopter is being used to trace the missing fishermen.
Notably, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) had issued warnings about heavy rain and stormy weather over the Bay of Bengal due to a low-pressure system. Fishermen operating in the deep sea were advised through satellite phones to return to the shore. It is not yet clear whether the crew aboard the trawler received the warning.
