Kolkata, 13 July (H.S.): The death toll in the fishing trawler tragedy off the West Bengal coast has risen to nine after four more bodies of fishermen were recovered from the trawler during an overnight search operation. Five bodies had already been recovered on Sunday. Six fishermen remain missing.

The bodies recovered from the trawler have been sent to the Kakdwip Sub-Divisional Hospital for post-mortem examination. Administrative officials and fishermen conducted an extensive search inside the vessel throughout the night to check whether any victims were trapped inside or entangled in fishing nets. Authorities fear that some of the missing fishermen may have been swept away by rough sea conditions at the time of the accident.

Officials said the Chief Minister has been informed about the incident, and discussions are underway regarding the next course of action.

West Bengal Minister of State for Sundarban Affairs Dipankar Jana reached the site on Sunday night and monitored the rescue and search operation at Sitarampur in Patharpratima under Gobardhanpur Coastal Police Station. Senior officials from the Kakdwip Sub-Divisional Administration, Sundarban Police District, Forest Department, coastal police, and representatives of fishermen's organisations, including Bijan Maity and Satinath Patra, were present during the operation.

According to officials, the fishing trawler 'Maa Kali' had left Shankarpur fishing harbour in Digha on July 2 with a crew to fish in the Bay of Bengal. Contact with the vessel was lost after July 5, prompting a joint search operation by the police, Indian Coast Guard, Navy, Forest Department and fishermen's organisations.

The trawler was finally located on Sunday in an overturned condition near Bagher Char, close to the Chulkathi forest, about 35 kilometres off the Bakkhali coast in South 24 Parganas. It was recovered in a joint operation involving the Forest Department, Gobardhanpur Coastal Police Station, Sundarban Police, Coast Guard and local fishermen, and was brought to the Sitarampur jetty. A thorough search of the vessel led to the recovery of nine bodies, while the search for the six missing fishermen is continuing.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Priyanka Pandey