Four tourists drown, 100 fishermen missing in Bengal

Midnapore, Aug 17 (UNI) Four tourists, who were bathing on the Digha beach here, drowned in the sea today, while nearly 100 fishermen, who went on fishing in nine trawlers on Tuesday, were still missing, official sources said tonight.

District Magistrate, East Midnapore, Anup Agarwal, said about 70 such trawlers went for deep sea fishing. But due to turbulent waves, high winds and inclement weather, barring nine, all others returned to Namkhana.

A Coast Guard aircraft was kept ready yesterday for searching the missing trawlers but due to heavy rains and deppression in the Bay of Bengal, it could not fly, Mr Agarwal said.

The aircraft has been pressed into action this morning, he added.

Meanwhile, four tourists, drowned near New Digha and Old Digha bathing beaches.

Police have declared two such beaches in old Digha and one in New Digha unsafe for tourists.

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