Balasore, July 9: Sixteen fishermen, including three from Odisha, have remained missing for over a week after their fishing trawler reportedly went missing in the Bay of Bengal, raising concern among their families and the fishing community.

The three missing fishermen from Odisha have been identified as Rabindra Majhi, Jayaram Majhi, and Jagannath Majhi, all brothers from Uluda village under Bhograi block in Balasore district. They were working aboard a fishing trawler operating from Shankarpur in West Bengal.

The brothers had ventured into the sea on July 2 aboard the trawler ‘Maa Kali’ along with 13 other fishermen for a hilsa fishing expedition. However, no contact has been established with the vessel since then, and the whereabouts of all 16 fishermen remain unknown even after a week.

The disappearance has left the families of the fishermen in deep distress. They have appealed to the Odisha and West Bengal governments to intensify rescue efforts and ensure the safe return of the missing fishermen.

Late on Wednesday night, West Bengal Fisheries Minister Rajesh Mahato visited Shankarpur and met the families of the missing fishermen to review the situation. As part of the ongoing search operation, a Navy helicopter has been deployed on Thursday to assist in tracing the missing trawler and its crew.

Meanwhile, the Shankarpur Fishermen's Association has urged the West Bengal government and the district administration to expedite the search and rescue operation to locate the missing fishermen at the earliest.