Balasore, Jul 13: At least nine fishermen, including three from Odisha, lost their lives after a West Bengal fishing trawler capsized in the Bay of Bengal. The trawler, FB Maa Kali, which had been missing since July 2, was recovered on Sunday, while six more crew members are still untraced and feared dead.

The trawler had departed from Shankarpur in Purba Medinipur district on July 2 with 15 fishermen on board for a hilsa fishing expedition. However, all communication with the vessel was lost two days later, prompting an extensive search operation by multiple agencies.

The capsized trawler was eventually located near Raktachar Island, about 16 kilometres off Bakkhali. A joint team of Gobardhanpur Police in South 24 Parganas district, the Forest Department, and the Indian Coast Guard recovered the vessel and brought it to Sitarampur for a detailed search.

During the overnight rescue operation, authorities recovered the bodies of nine fishermen from the trawler. The bodies have been sent to Kakdwip Sub-Divisional Hospital for post-mortem examination.

Among the deceased were three fishermen from Uluda village under Bhograi block in Odisha's Balasore district. They have been identified as brothers Rabindra Majhi, Jagannath Majhi, and Jayaram Majhi.

Search operations are continuing to locate the remaining six fishermen, who are still missing. Rescue teams are combing different parts of the sea, although fears are growing that they may also have perished in the tragedy.

The incident has plunged the victims' families into mourning, with anxious relatives awaiting further updates as the search operation continues.