Coast Guard rescues 182 stranded pilgrims in West Bengal

Kolkata: In a swift operation, the Indian Coast Guard (ICG) on Tuesday rescued 182 pilgrims stranded on a capsized boat near Kakdwip in West Bengal. An officer gave this information.

The Ministry of Defense (MoD) has said that the merchant ship ‘Swasthya Sathi’ was carrying about 400 pilgrims from the Ganga Sagar Fair at Sagar Island to Kakdweep when it ran aground due to extremely low visibility.

ICG said, after receiving a message from the District Magistrate of South 24 Parganas on Tuesday morning, the ICG operational team immediately swung into action and dispatched two air cushion vehicles (hovercraft) from Haldia and Sagar Island to provide assistance.

The official said the hovercraft evacuated 182 pilgrims and launched a boat before taking the remaining pilgrims to a safe destination.

The Defense Ministry said that to ensure the safety of people during the annual fair, the ICG had already deployed marine units at various strategic locations. A prompt lifesaving team of divers with Gemini boat is deployed at the fair site to deal with any situation.

Additionally, an officer from ICG Ship Fraserganj has been deployed at Sagar Island to coordinate with the state administration and monitor maritime security aspects, the Defense Ministry said.