2 dead, 2 missing in Noakhali fishing trawler capsize

Two fishermen died and two others went missing after a trawler carrying 16 fishers capsized amid a heavy storm in the Bay of Bengal on Friday, police said.

The accident occurred adjacent to Nijhum Dwip in Hatia upazila of Noakhali district on Friday morning, said police.

The dead were identified as Mainuddin, a resident of Amtali village in the Jahajmara union of the upazila and Md Raful of Notun Sukhchar village. The missing fishermen are Sharif and Belal.

Local resident Jillur Rahman said a total of 16 fishermen on board the MB Siraj fishing boat went to the deep sea to catch fish a few days back. They were returning to ghat after the catch on Thursday night.

The trawler was caught in a sudden storm and capsized after arriving in the Dhamarchar area adjacent to the Nijhum Dwip around 10am on Friday, according to the survivors.

Though 12 fishermen managed to swim to another trawler MB Yeamin Chowdhury.

Later, sailors from another trawler Lutfullahil Mujib Nishan found the bodies of Mainuddin and Raful lying inside the trawler that got struck at the char.

Kanchan Kanti Das, inspector (investigation) of Hatia Police Station, confirmed the incident. Locals joined police and Coast Guard to search for the missing people, he said.