More than fifty people went missing as some 20 salt-laden trawlers capsized in Chattogram’s Anwara coast of the Bay of Bengal during a nor’wester on Wednesday.
A total of 34 people were rescued from the sea with the help of River Police and Coast Guard.
Sources said that the accident took place when around 20 trawlers carrying salt from Kutubdia, Maheshkhali and Banshkhali in Cox's Bazar capsized due to a nor’wester in the Bay at Anwara coast in Chattogram around 8:00am.
Members of Bangladesh Coast Guard and River Police, Bangladesh have rescued 34 people. However, they were working to rescue the rest of the people.
The identities of 13 people among the rescued sailors and crew members of the trawlers were known immediately.
They are- Kutubdia upazila’s Taufiq Elahi, crew members of a salt trawler Md Manik, Nurul Amin, Md Anis, Banshkhali upazila's Allahar Daan trawler crew members Md Zia, Md Ali, Md Manik, Md Sohail, Md Mansur, Javed Ahmad, Bar Aulia trawler crew members Md Faruq, Bodi Alam, Abu Hanif and Abu Tayyab.
Abul Kashem, the owner of the missing Baro Aulia trawler and also resident of Qutubdia area, said, “My trawler was heading to Chattogram city from Kutubdia carrying salt. Meanwhile, another 15 to 20 salt laden trawlers from Kutubdia, Maheshkhali and Banshkhali were also capsized at the Baro Aulia coast of Gahira in the Bay due to nor’wester. However, the crew trawler was rescued. The value of my trawler is around Tk 20 lakh.”
Gahira Baro Aulia River Police in-charge Titu Dutta said, “We have received reports of several incidents of trawler capsize at Anwara coast in the Bay of Bengal. Coast Guard and River Police members have rescued around 34 people but many are still missing. River Police and Coast Guard members are conducting rescue operations to find the missing people.”
Chattogram Sadarghat River Police Officer-in-Charge Md Ekram Ullah said that several sailors were jointly rescued by River Police and Coast Guard members. Local people also rescued several people. However, no casualty has been reported so far.
