Just as the state concluded its eighth apex committee review meeting on coastal security, yesterday, a fishing trawler with 13 fishermen capsized in South 24-Parganas on Wednesday, leaving several fishermen dead while some are feared trapped under the vessel.

Sources in the Indian Coast Guard (ICG) confirmed to The Statesman that no survivors were found but dead bodies have been sighted. The exact toll is yet to be confirmed. An official said, “There might be some trapped under the vessel.” The ICG is carrying out search operations using its Dornier aircraft.

The incident took place at Bakkhali. Sources said the fishing trawler had set sail the day before yesterday with a total of 13 fishermen. However, with a sudden deterioration in the weather, they decided to sail back to the shore.

The incident took place while they were approaching towards coast when a strong wave hit the vessel causing it to capsize. Locals identified the spot near the incident site as ‘Rakteshwari char’ and testified that other nearby fishing trawlers, on spotting the sinking vessel, sailed towards it and managed to rescue three fishermen.

A fisherman, requesting anonymity, claimed that there were no warning alerts circulated prohibiting them from going to the sea hence the weather sea conditions were unexpected.

The eighth apex committee review meeting on coastal security, on Tuesday,  conducted by the Headquarters, Eastern Naval Command (ENC), Indian Navy, over video conference, co-chaired by Vice Admiral Ajendra Bahadur Singh, Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief, ENC, and Hari Krishna Dwivedi, chief secretary discussed various challenges in the maritime domain as well as future measures and possible solutions to enhance the “effectiveness of coastal security”.

Sources confirmed that the meeting also deliberated on reducing the number of accidents relating to fishing trawlers getting capsized on seas. Recently, a similar incident took place near Nandigram where fortunately the lives could be saved as the boat had overturned close to the coast due to a strong wave.

At Bakkhali, it was only last month when a group of 14 fishermen were rescued after their trawler capsized due to inclement weather.

An ICG source said, “We have been repeatedly asking fisheries association and authorities to check for the seaworthiness of the boats and the importance of keeping life-saving equipment onboard but it has yielded no results.”