Ten fishing trawlers still remain missing off Goa coast while 25 others were traced even as the Indian Navy airlifted seven fishermen and a child from a distressed trawler in the Purangad Bay off Ratnagiri after cyclone Phyan crossed the western coast this evening sparing Goa and bringing much relief to authorities.
As per the official records, around 35 trawlers went missing since last night prompting the Indian Coast Guard (ICG) and Indian Navy to initiate intense search and rescue operation off-Goa coast.
Anxiety and worry was writ on the faces of trawler owners as there was no contact with the crewmen till late afternoon.
The Fisheries Department confirmed that around 200-odd fishermen were stranded on these trawlers.
ICG which has initiated search and rescue operations have said that they are flooded with the complaints of missing people since yesterday
Navy PRO Commander M C Joshi said that a Chetak helicopter carried out a rescue operation and airlifted seven fishermen and one child from the boat that was damaged during the passage of cyclone in the Arabian Sea.
“The survivors were brought to safety on the coastal highway near Gaonkhadi village in the vicinity of Purangad fort”, added Joshi.
ICG Deputy Commander M S Dangi informed that since Tuesday, the ICG and Indian Navy were on high alert after cyclone got active. “We deployed three helicopters for continuous sorties to trace the 33 missing trawlers”, he said.
“The search and rescue operation was jointly carried out by ICG and Navy till 6 pm on Wednesday. We have managed to locate 23 missing trawlers and there are no reports of any human casualties”, said Dangi.
“Three helicopters, including two naval helicopters and surface vessel of ICG, are also involved in search and rescue operation, which will be continued on Thursday as 10 more trawlers are yet to be located”, added Dangi.
He further informed that most of the missing trawlers have been located in Maharastra coast — Malwan and Ratnagiri, while three trawlers were traced in Goan coast.
“Had we received this notice either from the Department, the Goa Coast Guard or the National Institute of Oceanography at least a day in advance, we would have advised trawler owners not to venture into the rough sea”, said Mandovi Fisheries Federation Ltd (Malim) Chairman Menino Afonso.
[Source]
