Indian authorities contacted for missing fishermen

There may be a chance that fishermen swam to some nearby coastal area

KARACHI:

The 14 Pakistani fishermen who went missing at sea following a boat mishap could not be traced even after 96 hours of the incident. The Fishermen's Cooperative Society (FCS) has contacted the coastal authorities of Gujarat in India.

As per details, the missing 14 fishermen were aboard the ill-fated boat which capsized near Hijamra area in the coastal belt between Thatta and Badin. A search operation is going on for the past four days to find them.

According to the Fishermen's Cooperative Society security in-charge Nasir Boneri, the search operation is going on to locate the fishermen, while the vessels in the sea are in constant contact.

According to Boneri, the body of any person who drowns in the sea usually comes up on the surface after 28 hours, but the missing fishermen have not been found. There may be a chance that a foreign boat or ship has rescued them. Therefore, contacts are being made with the coastal organisations of the neighbouring countries adjacent to the coastal areas of Pakistan. As part of the rescue efforts, Velji Bhai, Manager of Fishermen's Cooperative Society of the Gujarat Port of India, has been fully informed about the incident. It may be mentioned that when the boat capsizes due to strong gusts, the direction of the winds is towards the West (India). Boneri further said, there may be a possibility that the fishermen swam to another place in the sea.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 9^th, 2024.