Eight missing fishermen dead, three rescued

Kolkata, Aug 17 (PTI) Eight fishermen from Sunderbans inWest Bengal, who went missing following the August 8 cyclonicstorm and heavy rains in deep sea, have been found dead whilethree of them were rescued in a joint operation by the IndianCoast Guard and its Bangladesh counterpart. The survivors and the bodies were found near Kendo islandof the Sunderbans yesterday, Sunderban development ministerManturam Pakhiram, who is camping in the area, said. Efforts were on to bring them to Kakdwip today, he said. The fishermen had ventured to the seas in four trawlersto catch Hilsa on August one and after inclement weatherstruck them on August 7-8, 31 fishermen went missing,West Bengal Fishermen Association chairman Joykrishna Halderand secretary Bijon Maiti said. Five fishermen were found dead and three rescued onSunday. Two of the survivors were rescued in Bangladeshwaters, the minister said. Indian Coast Guard and its Bangladeshi counterpart navywere scouring the seas to trace the 12 fishermen, who arestill missing. Two Indian fishing boats had drifted to the Bangladeshside, an earlier report had said. Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee had on Sunday announced Rs2 lakh ex gratia to the kin of each of the dead fishermen. The government, she said, would pay for the treatmentof the rescued fishermen. PTI COR MMDV