Agartala, Mar 24: Four fishermen in the Ganda Twuisa subdivision of Tripura’s Dhalai district reportedly drowned as a heavy storm plunged into the area on Saturday night. All of them were there to catch fish in the Sarma River.
A substantial number of fishermen go fishing at night as they can fetch more compared to the morning.
As soon as the news spread, the local administration swung into action, and SDRF and fire brigade troopers initiated the rescue operation. The body of one of the deceased, identified as Haridas Das, was recovered.
A team of expert divers from the first battalion, NDRF, has been sent from Agartala to trace the remaining bodies.
District Magistrate Dhalai Saju Vaheed took prompt action and wrote a letter to 1st Battalion NDRF headquarters here in Agartala detailing the gravity of the situation. Considering the situation, the team was immediately dispatched.
Speaking on the issue, a senior official of the Tripura State Disaster Management Authority said, “The locals informed us that they were returning from fishing amid harsh weather conditions. Due to the strong wind, the boat they were boarded in turned turtle. The authorities are working to trace the bodies as soon as possible.”
Expressing his condolences to the grieving families, Chief Minister Dr. Manik Saha, who departed for Dhalai district early on Sunday morning, assured assistance from the state government.
"I have been informed about the tragic incident that took place at the Dumboor reservoir. Four fishermen went missing due to a cyclonic storm last night. With the dedicated efforts of the administration, the body of one has already been recovered, while the search for the remaining persons is still underway. My heartfelt condolences go out to the families of the deceased. The state government stands in solidarity with them during this challenging time,” a social media post on CM’s official handle reads.
