3 die, 45 marooned Bangladeshi rescued in Andamans

Port Blair, Dec 22 (UNI) Three marooned Bangladeshi men died due to starvation while 45 were rescued after their vessel sank near Dugong Creek in remote Little Andaman Island, police said today.

Superintendent of Police of South Andaman Jaspal Singh told newspersons these Bangladeshi nationals lost direction following a snag in their engine dinghy early December.

''They entered India's exclusive economic zone in Andaman Sea at about 0700 hrs yesterday and soon they were spotted by the Andaman Police,'' he added.

Dugong Creek is a restricted area inhabited by stone-age primitive tribe-Onge.

Mr Singh said if the apprehended foreigners were proved to have been in distress, they would be treated as per the International Maritime Law and would be sent back to their country, otherwise the law would take its own course.

Indian Coast Guard sources confirmed these marooned people had nothing with them to survive in remote islands.

According to preliminary information, their dinghy was damaged near Dugong Creek which forced them to abandon the vessel and swim to the nearby tribal islands. The tribals located them and informed the police in Little Andaman.

Mr Singh said all the 45 Bangladeshi nationals were brought here last evening after being gvien first aid and food.

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