Eighty Bangladeshi fishermen missing after storm

DHAKA, Sep 23 (Reuters) Eighty Bangladeshi fishermen are missing after 10 fishing boats sank in the Bay of Bengal during a storm overnight, officials said today.

Strong winds and high waves were preventing rescuers from launching a search for the missing fishermen.

''A search will start ... only when the situation improves,'' said Selim Khan, an administrative officer in the coastal Barguna district.

Meteorologists said a storm was churning in the Bay of Bengal, heading towards India's eastern coastal state of Orissa. Bangladesh ports have been asked to show storm warnings.

Fishermen who had managed to return to shore said they had seen several fishing boats to sink in the storm.

Hundreds of Bangladeshi fishermen die and many go missing in storms in the Bay of Bengal every year.

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