Search on for 32 fishermen lost after deep sea storm

Departure of further launches in the sea for fishing has been banned

KARACHI: Of the many boats that disappeared in the sea storm that struck the coastal belt on Sunday evening, two are still missing. The maritime security agency and Pak Bahria continued the rescue operation on Tuesday in the search of the 32 missing fishermen aboard these vessels.

Before April 10, a total of 275 boats of varying sizes left the coast for fishing. Several of these boats went missing in the storm in the deep sea. The fishermen aboard these boats, who are from Badin and different islands near Karachi, contacted their families late at night that they had been caught in the storm. Later, the fishermen on some of these boats informed their families, through radios and other means, that they had taken shelter at safe islands.

A crew comprising 13 fishermen were on board a boat that disappeared returned on Monday morning. Another, comprising nine fishermen, returned on Monday evening.

According to the Fishermen Cooperative Society, a crew comprising 12 people on a boat, ‘Al-Mudassir,’ that had also disappeared in the storm returned on Tuesday evening. However, four fishermen on the boat are still missing.

Some of the boats could still not be contacted. Two boats, ‘Qasina Akbar’ and ‘Al-Azizi’, are still missing and search operation is under way to find them.

The Pakistan Maritime Security Agency carried out a long search and rescue operation. Pak Bahria carried out its operation in different areas of the sea including Ghorabari, Kharochan and Khaikhadi. A 24/7 monitoring centre has been established and the departure of further launches in the sea for fishing has been completely restricted.

Published in The Express Tribune, April 17^th, 2019.