With two more bodies fished out of the Hooghly river, the toll in the trawler capsize mishap rose to 83 on Thursday even as authorities were trying to ascertain whether a wooden plank found by fishermen was part of the ill-fated trawler.
Fishermen saw a piece of wood floating in the middle of the river last evening near Chakfuldubi village bearing the trawler’s name ‘Ma Durga’ and pulled it to Majarchar village before informing the authorities.
The police this morning reached the spot with a launch and divers to determine if it was indeed the elusive trawler that was carrying 246 passengers.
Though Home Secretary G D Gautama had said yesterday that the trawler had been traced with echo-sounding machine, Additional District Magistrate Nilanjan Sandilya said that the position of the trawler had shifted due to tides.
70 people were still missing. Ninety-three people had swam to safety after the vessel, which was sailing from Hijli Sharif in East Midnapore district to Kakdwip in South 24 Parganas district, sank on October 30.
