A fishing trawler carrying at least 42 people,including 10 children,from Orissas Bhadrak district has gone missing in the Bay of Bengal. One Panchanan Mallick, who had recently bought the trawler,along with 45 people set sail from Nuagaon village in Basudevpur block in Bhadrak Monday to offer prayers at the shrine of Lord Akhandalamani at Aradi on the banks of Baitarani river. On Tuesday,they went to offer prayers at Dhamrai Temple,which is situated near where Dhamra river flows into the Bay of Bengal. Here three people got off and the trawler set off for Basudevpur. It never reached. And nobody knows for sure where it is. A fishing trawler reported to have seen a boat resembling the descriptions of the missing trawler moored at Bani forest near Dhamra river-mouth at 5 pm yesterday. But we cant be sure, SP of Bhadrak Jai Narayan Pankaj said. Dharmra Port Company Limited,Coast Guard and the Integrated Test Range officials at Dhamra have started a search operation. We are just hoping that the trawler is safe. However,bad weather - a result of low pressure over the Bay of Bengal and darkness are hindering search and rescue operation,Pankaj added.
