The Indian Coast Guard (ICG) on October 26 handed over 20 Bangladeshi fishermen to the Bangladesh Coast Guard who were rescued from sea off Sagar Island near Indo-Bangladesh International Maritime Border Line (IMBL) on October 25 after they were sighted by Dornier aircraft, which was on surveillance sortie to sanitize area post landfall of Cyclone ‘Sitrang’.
The ICG had launched its Dornier aircraft post landfall of Cyclone ‘Sitrang’ to sanitise the area close to the coast off Odisha and West Bengal and to render assistance to the mariners affected by the cyclone, it said in a statement.
“During the surveillance sortie, ICG Dornier aircraft sighted approximately 20 persons in water about 90 NM form IMBL as their boats had capsized in the cyclone. The survivors were clinging onto the floats and debris from sunken fishing boat,” it said in a statement. “ICG dropped life raft in the vicinity and remained in area till survivors embarked the life raft.”
Following this merchant vessel Nanta Bhum, which was in vicinity during its passage from Port Klang in Malaysia to Kolkata, was diverted to pick up the fishermen from the life raft dropped by it.
Coast Guard ships Vijaya, Varad and C-426 were diverted to augment the Search and Rescue Efforts efforts and sanitize the area, the statement said adding that the 20 Bangladeshi fishermen were subsequently taken over by ICG Ship Vijaya.
The fishermen were checked by medical officer onboard ICG ship for their fitness before being handed over to Bangladesh Coast Guard, in accordance with the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed the two Coast Guards, the statement added.
