Nine Fishermen Dead as Capsized Trawler Found in Bay of Bengal

Nine fishermen are dead. Six are missing. Their trawler was found capsized in the Bay of Bengal on July 14, 2026.

The trawler left Sankarpur in West Bengal's East Midnapore district on July 2. Families first lost contact with the crew on July 5, nine days before search teams found the trawler overturned near Bakkhali in South 24 Parganas district.

Nine bodies were recovered from or near the capsized hull. Authorities said DNA testing would be needed to identify them. The remaining six crew members have not been found, and search teams continued working the area.

The cause of the capsizing has not been established.

For background on interpreting fishing-vessel activity, our guides cover tracking fishing vessels, Class A and Class B AIS differences, and ship-location accuracy.