Twenty Bangladeshi fishermen were rescued by the Indian Coast Guard (ICG) from the sea off Sagar Island near international maritime border line after their boats capsized due to Cyclone Sitrang.

In a swift coordinated search and rescue (SAR) operation, the ICG saved the fishermen after the Coast Guard Dornier aircraft, which was on a surveillance sortie after the landfall of Cyclone Sitrang, saw their capsized boats. They were rescued quickly and handed over to the Bangladesh Coast Guard, the Indian Defence Ministry said today (October 26, 2022).

The ICG had launched its Dornier aircraft post landfall of Sitrang to sanitise the area close to the coast off Indian states Odisha and West Bengal and to render assistance to mariners affected by the cyclone, reports our New Delhi correspondent.

During the surveillance sortie, the ICG aircraft noticed 20 persons in the sea about 90 nautical miles from the maritime border as their boats had capsized in the cyclone. The survivors were clinging onto the floats and debris from the sunken fishing boat.

The ICG dropped the life raft in the vicinity and remained in the area till fishermen embarked on the life raft.

The ICG aircraft then diverted merchant vessel "Nanta Bhum", which was in the vicinity during its passage from Port Klang in Malaysia to Kolkata, to pick up the 20 persons from the life raft.

ICG ships Vijaya, Varad and C-426 were diverted to augment the search and rescue efforts. The 20 Bangladeshi fishermen were subsequently taken over by ICG Ship Vijaya.

The fishermen were checked by the medical officer onboard the ICG ship for their fitness before being handed over to Bangladesh Coast Guard, in accordance with the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed between Indian Coast Guard and Bangladesh Coast Guard.