10 trawlers sink in Bay of Bengal, 34 rescued

At least 34 people have been rescued after ten salt laden trawlers sank off the Anwara upazila coast due to a storm in the Bay of Bengal.

However, trawler owners claimed that many sailors are still missing. At least 15 to 20 trawlers loaded with salt from Kutubdia, Maheshkhali and Banshkhali of Cox's Bazar fell into the storm at Anwara coast around 8 am on Wednesday. Of them, at least 10 trawlers sank and Coast Guard and Naval Police have already rescued 34 people from the trawlers, Gahira Bar Auliya Naval Police In-charge Titu Dutta told the news agency. Coast Guard and Naval Police teams are working to rescue the missing people, he added.

Abul Kashem, a resident of Qutubdia area and the owner of the missing Bar Aulia trawler, said his trawler was on the way to Chattogram city from Qutubdia with salt when it met the tragic incident, reports BSS.

AFM Nizam Uddin, Superintendent of Naval Police, said several trawlers loaded with salt have sunk in the morning storm and most of the trawlers are from Kutubdia, Pekua area of Cox's Bazar. "Our team members are in the scene and joined the rescue operation. No casualty has been reported so far," he added.