President Murmu, PM Modi condole loss of lives due to boat capsizing in Bengal; ex gratia announced
New Delhi, July 13
President Droupadi Murmu, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Vice President CP Radhakrishnan on Monday condoled the loss of lives in the Bengal boat tragedy.
Nine bodies of fishermen were recovered from a sunken trawler in the Bay of Bengal after an extensive search operation.
In a post on X, the official account of Rashtrapati Bhavan shared, "Deeply saddened by the tragic boat capsize in South 24 Parganas district, West Bengal, which has claimed precious lives. My thoughts and prayers are with the affected families."
Prime Minister conveyed his thoughts to the bereaved families in this hour of grief and prayed for the speedy recovery of the injured.
Prime Minister announced that an ex-gratia of Rs 2 lakh from the Prime Minister's National Relief Fund (PMNRF) would be given to the next of kin of each deceased. The injured would be given Rs. 50,000.
The Prime Minister's Office posted on X: "The loss of lives due to the capsizing of a boat in the South 24 Parganas district of West Bengal is deeply painful. My thoughts are with the bereaved families in this hour of grief. May the injured recover at the earliest. An ex-gratia of Rs. 2 lakh from PMNRF would be given to the next of kin of each deceased. The injured would be given Rs. 50,000".
Vice President CP Radhakrishnan prayed for the speedy recovery of those injured.
"Deeply saddened by the tragic loss of lives in the boat capsizing incident in South 24 Parganas district, West Bengal. My heartfelt condolences to the bereaved families. I pray for the speedy recovery of those injured," the Vice President shared.
The missing trawler, identified as 'FB Joy Maa Kali', was found near Rakteshwar Char in South 24 Parganas district by a joint team of police, the Forest Department and the Indian Coast Guard. After the trawler was brought ashore in Gobardhanpur, rescue teams recovered nine bodies from inside the vessel.
The trawler had left Shankarpur Fishing Harbour in Purba Medinipur on June 2 with 15 fishermen onboard for deep-sea fishing but went missing amid adverse weather conditions.
— ANI
Reader Comments
Deeply saddened by this news. Boat accidents in Bengal's coastal areas have become far too common. The ex-gratia announced is good, but we need better safety measures and early warning systems for our fishermen. They risk their lives daily for our food.
Very sad incident. PM Modi and President Murmu's quick condolences show they care. But I hope the state government also takes steps to prevent such tragedies in future. Fishermen are the backbone of our coastal economy, yet they often face such risks alone.
Rough news to start the day. 😢 I'm glad the rescue teams found the trawler and recovered the bodies. The families deserve closure. Ex-gratia is helpful, but these fishermen need better insurance and safety equipment. God bless the departed souls. 🙏
A tragic reminder of how dangerous fishing can be in unpredictable weather. The government should consider implementing mandatory GPS tracking and emergency beacons on all fishing vessels. Thoughts and prayers to all those affected.
Heartbreaking! 9 lives lost, and families left shattered. The ex-gratia of 2 lakhs per family is inadequate given the risks these men take. Their families often depend entirely on them. We need a better social security net for our fishermen community.
S Shreya B